Stenopterygius

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Stenopterygius is an extinct genus of diapsid reptile belonging to the ichthyosaur order of fish-like aquatic reptiles. It was about 2 m (6 ft 8 in) long.

Stenopterygius was physically similar to the better known Ichthyosaurus, but had a smaller skull and narrower flippers. Beautifully preserved fossils of Stenopterygius have been found in Germany. One famous fossil is that of a mother and baby that died in childbirth (ichthyosaurs were viviparous). This proved that ichthyosaur infants were born tail-first, just like cetaceans, to prevent them from drowning before fully clearing the birth canal.

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