Residents of one of the cities in
Kazakhstan now have the opportunity to see a unique find. The remains of an
ancient ichthyosaur were first exhibited in the Aktau Museum of Local History.
The extinct species lived 113 million years ago in the Tethys Ocean, which is
now part of the modern Mangystau region. The bones of the prehistoric marine
reptile were discovered 15 kilometers from the village of Shetpe five years ago.
Archaeologists spent a month excavating the dinosaur’s remains. Specialists
from abroad were also involved in the necessary research. It was then that
scientists came up with the idea to recreate its skeleton with a height of 6.5
meters. However, the complete skeleton would have been too large for display,
thus they decided to assemble a reconstruction measuring 1.7 meters in height.
It took almost half a year to complete the work.
“Ichthyosaurs were predatory
marine reptiles, notable for their viviparity, where the embryo developed
inside the mother’s uterus. Another unusual feature is that they breathed with
lungs, not gills like fish,” said Salima Ussenova, expert at the Mangystau
Regional Museum of Local History.
“Ichthyosaurs looked intimidating.
Yet, I’m very excited to delve into the prehistoric world. It’s amazing that
our museum houses such a unique exhibit. We only believed it when we saw it
with our own eyes,” said museum visitor Korkem Sazdybai.
Web-editor: Aizhan
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