Paleontologists discover large marine reptile fossil, potential rival to blue whale in size

A discovery made by a young girl named Ruby Reynolds and her father, Justin, on a beach in Somerset, England, has led experts to identify bones as belonging to a new species of enormous ichthyosaur. The ichthyosaur, which is estimated to have been over 25 meters long, could potentially rival the blue whale as the largest known animal to have existed on Earth. The discovery was made when the pair found three pebbles, one of which was actually a fossilized bone fragment from the marine reptile. Scientists consider ichthyosaurs, also known as "fish lizards," to be prehistoric marine reptiles with elongated bodies and fish-like tails. The existence of this potential giant ichthyosaur challenges our current understanding of the largest animals in history.