{
  "id": 87108,
  "title": "This Ichthyosaur Chomped a Pterosaur—Then Got Chomped by Something Bigger",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/this-ichthyosaur-chomped-a-pterosaur-then-got-chomped-by-something",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-03T14:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Nautilus",
    "slug": "nautilus",
    "url": "https://nautil.us/this-ichthyosaur-chomped-a-pterosaur-then-got-chomped-by-something-bigger-1283298/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a remarkable discovery made in 2019 by fossil hunters in Queensland, Australia, a 20-foot long ichthyosaur was found to have consumed a pterosaur, a flying reptile, moments before its own demise. The ichthyosaur, which once swam in the Cretaceous period Eromanga Sea, is the first known instance of a marine reptile preying on a flying reptile. The team of paleontologists, led by Matt White from the University of New England, used 3-D neutron tomography to examine the ichthyosaur's stomach contents. They found concreted remains consisting primarily of seafood, but also a fragment of a pterosaur's jaw. This unusual find suggests that the ichthyosaur snatched a pterosaur out of the sky before being attacked by a larger predator. The skeleton of the ichthyosaur was in poor condition, with split vertebrae, missing ribs, and numerous bones displaying large bite marks, indicating a forceful jaw processing. The only known predator capable of producing such injuries in the Eromanga Sea was the Kronosaurus queenslandicus, a giant pliosaur measuring more than 40-feet long. This discovery adds to the complexity of the prehistoric food chain and demonstrates that there was always a bigger reptile in the prehistoric seas.",
  "summary": "Sometimes you’re the predator, sometimes you’re the prey The post This Ichthyosaur Chomped a Pterosaur—Then Got Chomped by Something Bigger appeared first on Nautilus .",
  "key_points": [
    "20-foot ichthyosaur found with pterosaur remains in its stomach",
    "3-D neutron tomography reveals pterosaur jaw fragment",
    "Kronosaurus queenslandicus likely predator based on bite marks"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The finding cements the Kronosaurus queenslandicus as apex predator in the Eromanga Sea and shows ichthyosaurs were both predators and prey in the prehistoric food chain.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}