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An Early Jurassic ichthyosaur from Europe, Stenopterygius was a fast, open-water marine reptile that had more than a passing resemblance to dolphins, although with tails that beat side-to-side rather than up and down.
Many specimens of Stenopterygius were found in the Posidonia Shale of Holzmaden, Germany, a fossil site renowned for its exquisitely preserved fossils. Some Stenopterygius skeletons retain a soft-tissue body outline, including the dorsal fin and crescent-shaped tail fluke, while others preserve unborn young (demonstrating conclusively that ichthyosaurs gave live birth).
