Presenting Prehistory: A Paleontology Lecture Series, Museum of the Rockies: The Ultimate ‘Iffyosaur’: The Story of An Unusual Ichthyosaur Composite

Ichthyosaurs, or “dolphin-shaped” marine reptiles, swam the seas for 160 million years and are known for their exquisite and complete preservation in the fossil record. Join Museum of the Rockies Outreach Program Manager Ashley Hall as she tells the story of how one seemingly complete ichthyosaur specimen was discovered to be an amalgamation of multiple skeletons from two different European countries, including one very rare specimen. How does fossil forgery happen, and what can we learn from these “Frankenstein” fossils?