ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Timeline of ichthyosaur research

Ichthyosaurs lived a really long time ago, like way before even your great-great-great-great grandparents were born. People didn't even know they existed until a long time after they went extinct!

The first ichthyosaur bone was found way back in 1699, but nobody knew what it was at the time. It wasn't until 1811 that a scientist named Mary Anning found a complete skeleton of an ichthyosaur in England. This was really exciting because nobody had ever seen a creature like this before!

After that, lots of scientists started studying ichthyosaurs to learn more about them. They found out that they were really good at swimming and lived in the ocean, and could grow to be really big.

Over time, scientists discovered different types of ichthyosaurs, and learned more about how they lived and evolved. They even found out what they ate by looking at their teeth and stomach contents!

Now, scientists all over the world continue to study ichthyosaurs and learn more about their amazing lives, even though they've been extinct for millions of years. It's like being a detective, trying to piece together the story of a creature that lived long, long ago.