Ophthalmosaurus

Ophthalmosaurus is an extinct genus of marine ichthyosaurs that lived during the Middle to Late Jurassic. Its enormous eyes and streamlined body are distinctive features.

Ichthyosaur: An extinct group of marine reptiles with streamlined bodies and limbs adapted as flippers. Ophthalmosaurus belongs to this group of marine reptiles.
Ichthyosaur locomotion: The swimming mechanics of ichthyosaurs, which propelled themselves primarily with powerful tail strokes. Ophthalmosaurus used the characteristic ichthyosaur tail-driven swimming style.
Ophthalmosaurus icenicus: The type species of Ophthalmosaurus, known from Jurassic marine deposits in England. This named species anchors the genus and its original fossil record.
Joseph Leidy: An American anatomist and paleontologist who made major contributions to vertebrate paleontology. Leidy named Ophthalmosaurus in 1874 from fossils found in Wyoming.
Ichthyosauria: A clade of extinct marine reptiles adapted for swimming, ranging from the Early Triassic to the Late Cretaceous. This broader clade places Ophthalmosaurus among other ichthyosaurs.
Thunniform locomotion: A swimming mode in which propulsion comes chiefly from a narrow tail fluke oscillating side to side. Its streamlined form and tail suggest efficient, sustained swimming.
Oxford Clay: A Middle Jurassic marine sedimentary formation in England rich in fossils, including marine reptiles. Fossils from this formation document Ophthalmosaurus in Jurassic seas.
Wyoming: A state in the western United States with Jurassic marine fossil deposits in its sedimentary basins. The first described Ophthalmosaurus material came from Wyoming.
Vertebral column: The series of vertebrae that supports the body and protects the spinal cord in vertebrate animals. Its vertebrae helped form the flexible trunk and tail used in swimming.
Ocular sclerotic ring: A ring of small bones embedded in the eye's outer coat in many vertebrates, including ichthyosaurs. Its large sclerotic rings supported eyes adapted to demanding underwater vision.

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TemnodontosaurusCompared with: It shares the enlarged-eye trait but lived later than Temnodontosaurus.