Postcranial anatomy of the ichthyosaur Besanosaurus leptorhynchus

Besanosaurus leptorhynchus is a large-bodied ichthyosaur from the Middle Triassic of Monte San Giorgio (Alps near the Italy–Switzerland border). In a new study, an international team of researchers describes its postcranial anatomy, revealing a combination of both ancestral and advanced ichthyosaur features. The swimming style of Besanosaurus is inferred to be somewhat intermediate between that of more basal and more derived ichthyosaurs.