Paleontologists say a fossil found in limestone along a remote South Texas riverbed could be that of a dolphin-like reptile that swam in ancient oceans some 90 million years ago.
The discovery was made two years by a petroleum geologist for the Texas Railroad Commission and it went largely unnoticed until a photo of the fossil appeared recently on the cover of the commission's 2016 annual report.
The find is unique because it appears to be a nearly complete fossil of an ichthyosaur, which grew to about 6 feet long and had the sleek body of a dolphin and long, toothy jaws of a dinosaur.
The Houston Chronicle reports the fossil was found on private land near the border town of Del Rio.
Copyright The Associated Press
