
''Contectopalatus'' was a primitive
ichthyosaur, an extinct fish-like marine reptile from the
Middle Triassic
In the geologic timescale, the Middle Triassic is the second of three epochs of the Triassic period or the middle of three series in which the Triassic system is divided in chronostratigraphy. The Middle Triassic spans the time between Ma ...
of
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
and
China.
It was originally named ''
Ichthyosaurus atavus'' (Quenstedt, 1851/52), and later ''
Mixosaurus atavus'' (Quenstedt 1852). It was recognised as a valid genus by Maisch and Matzke in 1998, though other authorities argue that it is synonymous with ''Mixosaurus''. It was long and weighed .
See also
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List of ichthyosaurs
This list of ichthyosaurs is a comprehensive listing of all genera that have ever been included in the order Ichthyosauria or the parent clade Ichthyopterygia, excluding purely vernacular terms. The list includes all commonly accepted genera, but a ...
*
Timeline of ichthyosaur research
This timeline of ichthyosaur research is a chronological listing of events in the history of paleontology focused on the ichthyosauromorphs, a group of secondarily aquatic marine reptiles whose later members superficially resembled dolphins, ...
References
Middle Triassic ichthyosaurs
Ichthyosaurs of Europe
Ichthyosauromorph genera
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