A fossil discovered in southwestern China has given scientists an unusually detailed look at how some ancient marine reptiles reproduced. Inside the 1.1-metre-long ichthyosaur were at least 11 foetuses, all apparently at a late stage of development. The specimen, identified as Mixosaurus panxianensis , dates to the Anisian age of the Triassic period, around 247 to 242 million years ago.
The report is based on a research paper,describing the Mixosaurus panxianensis specimen from Panzhou County, Guizhou Province, China. Gu S, Wang W, Li X, Li C. 2026. High fecundity in an early-diverging ichthyosaur with over ten fetuses.PeerJ14:e21620