A partial skeleton found in the Fernie Formation in British Columbia, Canada, back in 1916 represents a new genus and species of an extinct marine reptile called ichthyosaur, according to an international team of paleontologists.
Photograph and interpretative drawing of Fernatator prenticei’s skeleton in left lateral view. Image credit: Massare et al.
Fernatator prenticei lived in North America during the Early Jurassic epoch, around 190 million years ago.
“Ichthyosaurs — marine reptiles superficially resembling dolphins — were important marine predators from the Early Triassic (Olenekian) to the beginning of the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian),” said Professor Judy Massare of SUNY College at Brockport and colleagues.
“They were the dominant large predators in the Triassic and Early Jurassic oceans.”
“Thousands of partial and complete skeletons of Early Jurassic ichthyosaurs have been collected, mainly from the UK and Germany.”
“Early Jurassic ichthyosaurs from North America are rare,” they noted.
“Thus, the discovery of a partial skeleton from western Canada is significant.”
Excavation of Fernatator prenticei’s skeleton. Note that the rostrum is incomplete, although it preserves an additional portion that has since been lost. T. Prentice at right, W. R. Wilson, general manager of the C.N.P. Coal Company, at left. Photo taken circa 1916, Elk River, between Morrissey and Fernie, British Columbia. Photographer unknown. Image credit: Massare et al.
The skeleton of Fernatator prenticei was found during the summer of 1916 by T. Prentice while fishing in the Elk River in British Columbia, Canada.
“The specimen is the most complete ichthyosaur so far known from the Early Jurassic of North America, and one of several ichthyosaur specimens known from the Fernie Formation of western Canada,” the paleontologists said.
The new species is a moderate-sized ichthyosaur, between 3 and 4 m (10-13 feet) in length, with a unique combination of characters.
“The entire skeleton, as preserved, is 2.8 m long, including the impression of the anterior piece of the rostrum,” the researchers said.
“In life, the skeleton was probably closer to 3.5 m long and perhaps as much as 4 m long.”
“Although the preservation is poor, enough morphology is discernable to warrant the designation of a new genus and species,” they added.
“It is characterized by a tall, bar-like postorbital, a short, straight jugal that does not extend beyond the orbit anteriorly or posteriorly, a long, narrow anterior process of the maxilla, and a coracoid with a broadly curved lateral edge and a deep anterior notch, among other features.”
“Fernatator prenticei represents an important addition to the meagre North American record of Early Jurassic ichthyosaurs and the second taxon to be recognized from the Early Jurassic of Canada.”
A paper describing this discovery was published in the June 2025 issue of the journal Paludicola.
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Judy A. Massare et al. 2025. The most complete Early Jurassic ichthyosaur from North America. Paludicola 15 (2): 86-99
