以下資料大多數(shù)來自于Wikipedia，由于本人近日打了新冠疫苗發(fā)燒，所以以下漢化翻譯內(nèi)容大多數(shù)來自于簡單粗暴的機(jī)器翻譯！
除此之外這科普專欄帖“有可能”是本人在嗶哩嗶哩最后一次制作的古生物學(xué)相關(guān)科普內(nèi)容，因此本人從明年起不再推出古生物學(xué)科普內(nèi)容。敬請?jiān)彛。。。?！~~~~~

魚龍形下綱/Ichthyosauromorpha的科學(xué)研究編年史是古生物學(xué)史上按時(shí)間順序排列的事件的列表，魚龍形下綱/Ichthyosauromorpha是一種海生的蜥形綱物種類群，不少物種的外形類似于鯨下目/Cetacea、鯊形超目/Selachimorpha和旗魚目/Istiophoriformes?？茖W(xué)家至少在17世紀(jì)末就記載過魚龍形下綱/Ichthyosauromorpha的物種化石，當(dāng)時(shí)一位名叫愛德華·拉維德/Edward Lhwyd的學(xué)者出版了一本有關(guān)英格蘭化石的書，該書將一些魚龍形下綱物種的椎骨錯(cuò)誤鑒定為魚類化石；直到19世紀(jì)人們才開始了解到魚龍形下綱/Ichthyosauromorpha物種的真面目。在1811年一個(gè)名叫約瑟夫·安寧·杰弗里/Joseph Anning Jeffrey的男孩發(fā)現(xiàn)了人類已知最早的魚龍形下綱/Ichthyosauromorpha化石記載，這些化石在科學(xué)上也得到了公認(rèn)，后來他的妹妹瑪麗·安寧/Mary Anning找到了骨骼的其余部分，并繼續(xù)成為受人尊敬的化石收藏家和古生物學(xué)家。

科學(xué)家對魚龍形下綱/Ichthyosauromorpha的早期研究認(rèn)為該物種類群是海洋蜥形綱物種，但對其解剖結(jié)構(gòu)和生態(tài)行為等主要知識未完全了解，人們經(jīng)常將它們描繪成經(jīng)常在海灘上曬日光浴的水陸兩棲動(dòng)物，并且尾巴筆直。盡管人類已知最早找到的魚龍形下綱/Ichthyosauromorpha化石標(biāo)本中可以看到魚龍屬/Ichthyosaurus的尾椎的末端向下彎曲，但學(xué)者們早期認(rèn)為魚龍屬/Ichthyosaurus的尾椎的末端向下彎曲是因?yàn)槭w遭受破壞。事實(shí)上這種尾巴向下彎曲是魚龍形下綱/Ichthyosauromorpha大多數(shù)物種常見的生前特征，以至于學(xué)者們最后意識到尾椎的末端向下彎曲是那些化石的自然正常的生前特征，尾椎骨上方并支撐著鯊魚狀的尾鰭。科學(xué)家們開始意識到魚龍形下綱/Ichthyosauromorpha極度特化成純水生/Aquatic物種，甚至?xí)月烟ド?Ovoviviparity方式生產(chǎn)后代。魚龍形下綱/Ichthyosauromorpha的產(chǎn)子證據(jù)可追溯到1846年，當(dāng)時(shí)查爾斯·皮爾斯/Chaning Pierce向理查德·歐文/Richard Owen爵士報(bào)告發(fā)現(xiàn)到魚龍屬/Ichthyosaurus的胚胎化石。

魚龍形下綱/Ichthyosauromorpha的化石發(fā)現(xiàn)與其科學(xué)研究一直持續(xù)到20世紀(jì)。1928年西緬·穆勒/Simeon Muller在內(nèi)華達(dá)州發(fā)現(xiàn)了40只的巨型物種化石。但是直到1950年代中期，查爾斯·劉易斯·坎普/Charles Lewis Camp 和 加利福尼亞州大學(xué)伯克利分校/University of California, Berkeley的 塞繆爾·保羅·威爾斯/Samuel Paul Welles 為此目的進(jìn)行探險(xiǎn)之前，才發(fā)掘這些魚龍形下綱/Ichthyosauromorpha物種的巨型化石遺骸，這些化石的發(fā)掘?qū)⑿枰嗄甑臅r(shí)間，而查爾斯·劉易斯·坎普/Charles Lewis Camp對這些骨骸化石的研究結(jié)果要到1975年去世后一年才公布。這些巨型魚龍被命名為秀尼龍屬·通俗種/Shonisaurus popularis，其后的該地點(diǎn)現(xiàn)在已被命名為貝林魚龍國家公園/Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park。

20世紀(jì)晚期對魚龍形下綱/Ichthyosauromorpha的研究有顯著的進(jìn)展，包括新建一種物種屬，即真鼻龍屬·長嘴種/Eurhinosaurus longirostris，在此之前自1854年以來就被錯(cuò)誤地歸類為魚龍屬/Ichthyosaurus里。1986年克里斯托弗·麥克高恩/Christopher McGowan用亞瑟王的神話般的劍來命名了另一種在英格蘭發(fā)現(xiàn)過外形很類似真鼻龍屬/Eurhinosaurus的物種，即王者之劍龍屬·克斯提種/Excalibosaurus costini。在1990年代末和21世紀(jì)初，關(guān)于整個(gè)魚龍形下綱/Ichthyosauromorpha該物種類群滅絕的原因，一直引起學(xué)術(shù)界的爭議性，例如有一種假說認(rèn)為是來自于在森諾曼階/Cenomanian或其后時(shí)代的土侖階/Turonian新興演化出的默茲蜥超科（滄龍超科）/Mosasauroidea物種類群競爭。

1990
??? Bradley Kosch of Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park criticized Camp's 1980 reconstruction of the park's famous Shonisaurus popularis as having too short a backbone and overly deep ribs, responsible for its supposedly deep pot belly. He noted that the illustration differed from both the text of Camp's published description and his own private field notes.
??? Stephen Jay Gould published an article about the tail bend in ichthyosaurs.
??? De Buffrenil and Mazin found a woven texture in the bones of Ichthyosaurus, Omphalosaurus, and Stenopterygius. This texture is found only in the bones of quickly growing animals, suggesting that ichthyosaurs had high metabolic rates and may even have been warm blooded.
??? Massare and Callaway observed that Triassic ichthyosaurs had more elongated body plans than their Jurassic successors.

1990年
??? 柏林魚龍國家公園的布拉德利·科斯/Bradley Kosch反駁查爾斯·劉易斯·坎普/Charles Lewis Camp在1980年對公園著名的肖尼龍屬·通俗種/Shonisaurus popularis的復(fù)原圖，因?yàn)樾つ猃垖佟ねㄋ追N的骨干太短、肋骨過深甚至批評胸腹肚腩被復(fù)原成過大。布拉德利·科斯指出，該肖尼龍的復(fù)原圖不僅和查爾斯·劉易斯·坎普的公開文字描述有出入，也和查爾斯·劉易斯·坎普自己的私人實(shí)地記載有出入。
??? 斯蒂芬·杰伊·古爾德/Stephen Jay Gould發(fā)表了一篇關(guān)于魚龍類物種尾巴彎曲的文章。
??? 德布弗里尼爾/De Buffrenil和馬贊/Mazin在魚龍屬/Ichthyosaurus、眼睛龍屬/Omphalosaurus和狹鰭龍屬/Stenopterygius的骨頭中發(fā)現(xiàn)了編織紋理，這種在骨頭里編織紋理僅在生產(chǎn)速度較快的動(dòng)物骨骼身上才能發(fā)現(xiàn)到，這顯示魚龍類物種的新陳代謝率很高，甚至可能是中溫動(dòng)物或恒溫動(dòng)物。
??? 馬薩雷和卡拉威觀察到，三疊紀(jì)的魚龍類物種的胴體比例，比侏羅紀(jì)后代的胴體比例更長。

1991
??? An archaeologist named Keary Walde discovered large fossil bones near the Sikanni Chief River. He reported his discovery to the Royal Tyrell Museum. The museum's curator, Elizabeth Nicholls, was also a respected marine reptile researcher, visited the site.
Skeletal reconstruction of a Stenopterygius with young partially evacuated from the birth canal. These specimens may not reflect the preservation of mothers in the act of giving birth, but deceased feti being expelled from her by pressure resulting from gas build up in her bloating carcass.
She was astonished to realize that the bones discovered by Walde were the remains of an ichthyosaur roughly 75 feet long, one and a half times as big as the largest known ichthyosaur at the time.
??? McGowan argued that ichthyosaur fossils with new-born remains protruding from the birth canal don't imply that the mother died giving birth. Instead, they could be expelled from an already dead mother by the pressure of gas-build up as her rotting carcass bloated. An example of this in modern marine life was documented where the carcasses of beached false killer whales were given a shallow burial. Several months later, the pregnant females' fetuses had been partly expelled. He also observed that roughly 35 ichthyosaur specimens a year were still being recovered from Holzmaden. He suggested that at least some ichthyosaurs may have been warm-blooded and swift swimming like modern tuna due to their similar body plans. He also noted that even if they weren't warm blooded their large body mass would help maintain stable body temperatures.
??? Lingham-Soliar referred to the swimming style of advanced ichthyosaurs whose body remained stiff while large muscles powered the tail's swimming stroke as "axial oscillation".
??? Mazin and others described the new genus and species Thaisaurus chonglakmanii.

1991年
??? 一位名叫基里·瓦爾德/Keary Walde的考古學(xué)家在西肯尼酋長河附近發(fā)現(xiàn)了大塊化石，并把發(fā)現(xiàn)報(bào)告獻(xiàn)給皇家泰瑞爾博物館/Royal Tyrell Museum?；始姨┤馉柌┪镳^的策展人伊麗莎白·尼科爾斯/Elizabeth Nicholls也是一位受人尊敬的海生蜥臉綱研究者，他參觀了該遺址。令伊麗莎白·尼科爾斯驚訝的是，基里·瓦爾德發(fā)現(xiàn)的骨頭是身長大約22.86米（75英尺）長的魚龍類物種的骨骸化石。
??? 克里斯托弗·麥克高恩/Christopher McGowan研究認(rèn)為，懷孕的魚龍類化石以及從產(chǎn)道擠出的新生尸骸并不意味著母親死于分娩難產(chǎn)。相反地由于尸體在腐爛過程種累積的氣體壓力快速膨脹可能將它們從已經(jīng)死去的母親尸體中排擠出去。類似的情況在現(xiàn)代海洋動(dòng)物物種也有類似的案例：已懷孕擱淺而死的偽虎鯨/Pseudorca crassidens母親尸體被進(jìn)行了淺埋葬，幾個(gè)月后孕婦的死胎全身被部分?jǐn)D出母親死尸體外。克里斯托弗·麥克高恩在此之前觀察過霍爾茨馬登/Holzmaden市鎮(zhèn)當(dāng)?shù)厝耸棵磕瓴杉郊s35具體魚龍類化石物種標(biāo)本。克里斯托弗·麥克高恩提出由于魚龍類物種與鯖科(金槍魚科)/Scombridae相似的身體結(jié)構(gòu)，因此推測有些魚龍類物種可能像現(xiàn)代鯖科一樣是中溫動(dòng)物并能快速游泳?？死锼雇懈ァ溈烁叨鬟€指出即使魚龍類物種不是恒溫動(dòng)物，他們的大體型的面積也會(huì)有助于維持自身體溫穩(wěn)定。
??? 林漢姆·索里亞爾/Lingham-Soliar將魚龍類的高級演化物種的身體保持僵硬，而大塊肌肉為尾巴的游泳沖程提供動(dòng)力，因此稱為“軸向振蕩/axial oscillation”。
??? 馬津/Mazin和其他學(xué)者新描述一個(gè)魚龍類物種，泰國龍屬·崇勒瑪尼種/Thaisaurus chonglakmanii。

1992
??? Field work on behalf of Alberta's Royal Tyrell Museum began in the Pink Mountains of British Columbia 60 miles north of where Christopher McGowan's field work was conducted. The Royal Tyrell researchers would discover Late Triassic ichthyosaur remains in the sediments of the Pardonet Formation.
??? Judy Massare proposed an explanation for the high percentage of pregnant Stenopterygius at Holzmaden. She speculated that the area was used as a breeding ground, the way whales congregate to give birth in areas of shallow water today. The coordination of a large number of births at the same time and place would increase the young's chances of survival because there would be too many for the local predator population to eat. Massare suggested that another ichthyosaur genus, Leptopterygius (now known as Leptonectes), was one such local predator that may have fed on vulnerable young ichthyosaurs.
??? Nathalie Bardet dismissed claims of ichthyosaur fossils from rocks of more recent age than the Cenomanian. She also discussed possible causes for the extinction of the ichthyosaurs. She expressed doubt that ichthyosaurs were replaced by mosasaurs because they would not be in direct competition with each other. Instead she posited a connection to an extinction event that affected cephalopods at the boundary between the Cenomanian and Turonian ages. She proposed that the disappearance of these many cephalopod species may have deprived ichthyosaurs of their food source and caused their extinction.

1992年
??? 這一年克里斯托弗·麥克高恩/Christopher McGowan的團(tuán)隊(duì)為加拿大阿爾伯塔省的皇家泰瑞爾博物館/Royal Tyrell Museum，開始對不列顛哥倫比亞省的粉紅色山脈地區(qū)的北面60英里進(jìn)行野外考察?；始姨┤馉柎髮W(xué)的研究人員將在帕多內(nèi)特組/Pardonet Formation的沉積物中發(fā)現(xiàn)三疊紀(jì)晚期的魚龍類物種骨骸化石。
??? 朱迪·馬薩雷/Judy Massare對霍爾茨馬登/Holzmaden市鎮(zhèn)當(dāng)?shù)氐莫M鰭龍屬/Stenopterygius懷孕母親化石占了當(dāng)?shù)匕俜直然瘮?shù)量提出了一種解釋。她推測該地區(qū)曾被用作狹鰭龍的繁殖場，類似于鯨下目/Cetacea現(xiàn)代物種在海灣淺水區(qū)聚集分娩產(chǎn)子的習(xí)性。狹鰭龍?jiān)谕粫r(shí)間和地點(diǎn)同時(shí)進(jìn)行大量分娩產(chǎn)子的會(huì)增加年輕個(gè)體的生存率，因?yàn)楫?dāng)?shù)靥鞌陈邮痴叩臄?shù)量太多了。馬薩雷/Massare推測另一種魚龍類物種屬即纖細(xì)泳龍屬/Leptonectes，可能是以比較脆弱的魚龍類物種幼年個(gè)體為食的當(dāng)?shù)芈邮硠?dòng)物。
??? 納塔莉·巴戴/Nathalie Bardet反對魚龍類化石截止至森諾曼階/Cenomanian再也無往后化石記載的假說，納塔莉·巴戴還提出魚龍類物種滅絕的可能原因。她對魚龍類物種被莫茲蜥超科（被滄龍超科）/Mosasauroidea取代表示質(zhì)疑，因?yàn)樗鼈冎g沒有任何直接競爭關(guān)系的證據(jù)。反而是納塔莉·巴戴認(rèn)為魚龍類物種消失與滅絕事件有聯(lián)系，她提出森諾曼階-土倫階邊界事件/Cenomanian-Turonian boundary event導(dǎo)致魚龍類物種的主要食物來源頭足綱/Cephalopoda軟體動(dòng)物的銳減甚至物種滅絕，而導(dǎo)致了魚龍類物種全族滅絕。

1993
??? Charles Deeming and others published a paper on the 1985 ichthyosaur embryo discovered in Somerset. They observed that many pregnant ichthyosaur specimens contain fetuses oriented head-first toward the birth canal even though they were probably born tail-first as a precaution to prevent drowning. This suggests that there may have been complications during the pregnancy, like the fetus being too large to pass through the birth canal. If the decomposing fetus remained trapped in the mother, it would very likely kill her.
??? Jennifer Hogler re-examined the tails of the early large ichthyosaurs Cymbospondylus and Shonisaurus, finding the wedge-shaped vertebrae that form the tail-bend that composes the tail fluke. This find contradicted the widespread idea that these early ichthyosaurs had straight tails and therefore lacked well-developed flukes.
??? Russell described the species that would later come to be known as Arthropterygius chrisorum.
??? McGowan described the species that would later come to be known as Leptonectes solei.

1993年
??? 查爾斯·迪明/Charles Deeming等學(xué)者發(fā)表了一篇關(guān)于在1985年薩默塞特/Somerset發(fā)現(xiàn)的魚龍類幼兒化石的論文，他們觀察到許多懷孕的魚龍類化石標(biāo)本包含頭顱露出產(chǎn)道的幼兒，盡管魚龍類物種幼兒可能具有被出生于尾巴下方作為預(yù)防溺水的預(yù)防措施，這表明某些母子在懷孕期間可能有并發(fā)癥，例如幼兒體型太大而無法排出產(chǎn)道。如果死胎卡住母親產(chǎn)道并開始腐爛，很可能會(huì)害死該母親。
??? 珍妮弗·霍格勒/Jennifer Hogler重新檢查三疊紀(jì)的魚龍類大型物種中的船椎龍屬/Cymbospondylus和秀尼龍屬/Shonisaurus的尾巴結(jié)構(gòu)，發(fā)現(xiàn)形成尾彎的楔形椎骨構(gòu)成了尾鰭。這一發(fā)現(xiàn)與普遍對魚龍尾鰭的觀點(diǎn)相矛盾，即早期的魚龍尾巴呈筆直外形，因此缺乏發(fā)達(dá)的尾巴結(jié)構(gòu)。
??? 羅素/Russel新建和命名魚龍類物種"Ophthalmosaurus" chrisorum，后來被重新命名學(xué)名和分類為肘鰭龍/Arthropterygius chrisorum的物種。
??? 克里斯托弗·麥克高恩/Christopher McGowan新建和命名魚龍類物種"Leptopterygius" solei，后來被重新命名學(xué)名和分類為纖細(xì)泳龍/Leptonectes solei。

1994
??? Axel Hungerbuhler bemoaned the taxonomic confusion caused by German geologist Friedrich Quenstedt's early research on the ichthyosaurs at Holzmaden. He attributed the bulk of this confusion to Quenstedt's unorthodox naming practices, which often exceeded the two-named binomials of standard biological nomenclature to consist of three or four names. Further, the fossils themselves were poorly organized and many of the type specimens he founded species on were unlabeled. Hungerbuhler named two new species of his own: Stenopterygius cuniceps and S. macrophasma.
??? Christopher McGowan named the new species of Shastasaurus discovered in British Columbia S. neoscapularis. He also reviewed the species previously referred to the genus, finding many of them to be dubious, like S. altus, S. careyi, S. carinthiacus, and S. osmonti. However, two previously described species, the type, S. pacificus, and the referred species S. alexandrae were found to be valid. He criticized Merriam for oversplitting Shastasaurus because most of the resulting names were useless and mislead the paleontological community into thinking that the genus was better understood than it really was.
??? Fernandez described the new ichthyosaur genus Chacaisaurus from the Vaca Muerta Formation of Argentina.
??? Bardet and others reported Platypterygius fossils from late Cenomanian rocks in Bavaria. These were the remains latest known ichthyosaurs.
??? Fernández described the species that would later come to be known as Stenopterygius cayi.

1994年
??? 阿克塞爾·亨格勒/Axel Hungerbuhler批評德國地質(zhì)學(xué)家弗里德里?！だニ固┨?Friedrich Quenstedt對霍爾茨馬登/Holzmaden市鎮(zhèn)當(dāng)?shù)氐聂~龍的早期研究引起的分類混亂。他將這種混亂的大部分歸因于昆斯泰特/Quenstedt的非正統(tǒng)命名慣例，該慣例通常超過了標(biāo)準(zhǔn)生物學(xué)命名法的雙名法和標(biāo)準(zhǔn)生物學(xué)術(shù)語法（由三個(gè)或四個(gè)名稱組成）。此外當(dāng)?shù)鼗M織本身組織不善，該組織建立的許多化石類型標(biāo)本都沒有標(biāo)簽具體學(xué)名。亨格布勒/Hungerbuhler自己命名了狹鰭龍屬/Stenopterygius兩種筆下新物種：Stenopterygius cuniceps和Stenopterygius macrophasma。
??? 克里斯托弗·麥克高恩/Christopher McGowan命名了來自于不列顛哥倫比亞省的薩斯特龍屬/Shastasaurus新筆下物種，Shastasaurus neoscapularis（該物種后來被重新命名學(xué)名和重新分類成獨(dú)立物種，卡洛維龍/Callawayia neoscapularis ）?？死锼雇懈ァ溈烁叨髦匦妈b定被分類到薩斯特龍屬的物種，發(fā)現(xiàn)其中物種許多具有可疑性，例如Shastasaurus altus、Shastasaurus careyi, Shastasaurus carinthiacus和Shastasaurus osmonti，但發(fā)現(xiàn)兩個(gè)先前描述的物種，即S. pacificus類型和所指物種S. alexandrae是有效的?？死锼雇懈ァ溈烁叨髋u約翰·坎貝爾·梅里亞姆/John Campbell Merriam過度為薩斯特龍屬新建立屬下物種，因?yàn)樗_斯特龍屬大多數(shù)所謂筆下物種是無效學(xué)名物種，并且誤導(dǎo)了古生物學(xué)界。
??? 費(fèi)爾南德斯新建立和命名來自阿根廷的瓦卡穆爾塔組/Vaca Muerta Formation的魚龍類物種，"Chacaisaurus"。
??? 巴德/Bardet和其他學(xué)者報(bào)道發(fā)現(xiàn)了巴伐利亞晚期切諾曼尼亞巖中的扁鰭龍屬/Platypterygius化石，該化石是已知出現(xiàn)地層最晚的魚龍類化石，而扁鰭龍屬是目前已知生存最晚的魚龍類物種。

1995年
??? January: A man named Chris Moore discovered much of the front half of an ichthyosaur skeleton in the Belemnite Marls of Seatown, Dorset. The specimen was a juvenile of a new Leptopterygius species, named L. moorei after Moore. In life, the specimen was probably about 8 feet long.
??? McGowan renamed the ichthyosaur genus Leptopterygius to Leptonectes. He also synonymized Leptopterygius with Temnodontosaurus. He also described the new genus and species Hudsonelpidia brevirostris.
??? Martill claimed that despite an abundance of ichthyosaur specimens with preserved soft tissue, there was no evidence that ichthyosaur skin was covered in scales.
??? Tichy described the new species Omphalosaurus wol? .
??? Nicholls and Brinkman described the new genus and species Parvinatator wapitiensis.

1995年
???? 一月：一個(gè)名叫克里斯·摩爾/Chris Moore的人在多塞特郡西鎮(zhèn)的貝倫尼特泥沼中發(fā)現(xiàn)了魚龍骨架前半部分的大部分。 該標(biāo)本是一種新的“Leptopterygius”物種的幼體，以摩爾的名字命名為“Leptopterygius moorei”。 估計(jì)這個(gè)標(biāo)本生前全身大概有 8 英尺長。
???? 克里斯托弗·麥克高恩/Christopher McGowan將“Leptopterygius”重新命名為纖細(xì)泳龍屬/Leptonectes。他還將“Leptopterygius”與切割齒龍屬/Temnodontosaurus視為同物異名。 他還描述了新的屬和種為 哈德森希望龍/Hudsonelpidia brevirostris。
???? 馬蒂爾/Martill聲稱，盡管有大量具有保存軟組織的魚龍標(biāo)本，但沒有證據(jù)表明魚龍類物種皮膚有被鱗片覆蓋。
???? 蒂奇/Tichy描述了新物種 紐扣龍/Omphalosaurus wolfi。
???? 尼科爾斯/Nicholls和布林克曼/Brinkman描述了新屬和種 Parvinatator wapitiensis。

1996年
??? Motani and others argued that sharks are the best modern analogues for ichthyosaurs because of their similar body plans.
??? McGowan reported the serendipitous discovery of evidence for a new giant ichthyosaur species in a museum collection. He was studying the ichthyosaur fossils curated by the National Academy of Sciences in Philadelphia. One Early Jurassic bone catalogued as a part of a shoulder (the coracoid) he recognized as actually being a gigantic skull bone (the quadrate). The misidentification was probably due to the quadrate's exceptionally large size as the coracoid is generally one of the larger bones in the ichthyosaur body. The implication of such a large quadrate being found was the existence a previously unknown ichthyosaur of similar or greater size to Shonisaurus itself. In life this animal may have been more than 50 feet long. He also described the new genus Leptonectes as well as the species that would later come to be known as Macgowania janiceps.
??? Motani, You, and McGowan observed that the primitive ichthyosaur Chensaurus had had a relatively large number of vertebrae. This suggests that it swam in an eel-like fashion. The researchers interpreted the course of ichthyosaur evolution as starting with an eel-like body plan, transitioning to a jack-like body plan, and reaching its culmination in a tuna-like body plan.
??? Dal Sasso and Pinna described the new genus and species Besanosaurus leptorhynchus.

1996年
??? 莫塔尼/Motani和其他學(xué)者認(rèn)為鯊形超目/Selachimorpha是魚龍類物種最好的現(xiàn)代參考例子，因?yàn)樗鼈兊纳眢w結(jié)構(gòu)相似。
??? 克里斯托弗·麥克高恩/Christopher McGowan報(bào)告了在博物館藏品中偶然發(fā)現(xiàn)的一種新的巨型魚龍物種的證據(jù)。他當(dāng)時(shí)正在費(fèi)城研究由美國國家科學(xué)院整理的魚龍化石。一個(gè)來自于侏羅紀(jì)早期骨骼被編目為肩部（喙突）的一部分，他認(rèn)為實(shí)際上是一塊巨大的顱骨（方形）。這個(gè)錯(cuò)誤識別可能是由于方形體的異常大，因?yàn)猷雇煌ǔＪ囚~龍類物種身體中較大的骨骼之一。發(fā)現(xiàn)如此大的方形體意味著存在一種以前未知的魚龍類物種，其體型與秀尼龍屬/Shonisaurus本身相似或更大。推測這種動(dòng)物化石生前全身可能已經(jīng)超過50英尺長。他還描述了新屬即 纖細(xì)泳龍屬/Leptonectes以及后來被重新命名為 Macgowania janiceps 的物種。
??? 莫塔尼/Motani、尤/You和克里斯托弗·麥克高恩/Christopher McGowan觀察到原始的魚龍類物種“Chensaurus”（現(xiàn)在有效屬名為巢湖龍屬/Chaohusaurus）的椎骨數(shù)量相對較多。這表明它以類似鰻魚的方式游動(dòng)。研究人員將魚龍的進(jìn)化過程解釋為從類似鰻魚的身體計(jì)劃開始，過渡到類似杰克的身體計(jì)劃，并在類似金槍魚的身體計(jì)劃中達(dá)到頂峰。
??? 達(dá)爾·薩索/Dal Sasso和品納/Pinna描述了新的屬和種，即貝薩諾龍屬纖細(xì)喙種/Besanosaurus leptorhynchus。

1997年
??? Ryosuke Motani completed his doctoral dissertation: "Phylogeny of the Ichthyosauria with Special Reference to Triassic Forms".
??? Callaway argued that it was inaccurate to refer to ichthyosaurs as Ichthyopterygia.
??? Callaway examined the mixosaurid fossils housed at the natural history museum in Zurich. He regarded only two species of Mixosaurus to be valid; M. cornalianus and M. atavus. He regarded M. maotaiensis, M. natans, and M. nordeskioeldii as junior synonyms of those species. He also regarded several species in the genus Phalarodon as synonymous with the two valid Mixosaurus species.
??? Martin Sander of the Institute for Paleontology in Bonn named the ichthyosaur found in Karlstadt, Germany Shastasaurus neubigi in honor of its discoverer. The specimen originated in the Muschelkalk, which was deposited in a shallow sea. Because the waters were so shallow and large ichthyosaurs are so infrequently found in the Muschelkalk Sander speculated that the ichthyosaur entered the region where it would later fossilize by accident in a deviation from the normal range of the species.
??? Fernández described the new genus and species Caypullisaurus bonapartei.
??? Maisch and Matzke described the new genus and species Mikadocephalus gracilirostris.
??? Arkhangelsky described the species that would later come to be known as Ophthalmosaurus saveljeviensis .
??? Efimov described the species that would later come to be known as Platypterygius bedengensis.
??? Páramo described the new species Platypterygius sachicarum

1997年
??? 涼介也谷/Ryosuke Motani 完成了他的博士論文：《特別參考三疊紀(jì)形態(tài)的魚龍類系統(tǒng)發(fā)育》。
??? 卡拉威/Callaway認(rèn)為，將魚龍類物種稱為魚鰭類/Ichthyopterygia是不準(zhǔn)確的。
??? 卡拉威/Callaway檢查了存放在蘇黎世自然歷史博物館的混合龍科動(dòng)物化石。他認(rèn)為只有兩種混合龍是有效的； M.cornalianus 和 M. atavus。他認(rèn)為 M. maotaiensis、M. natans 和 M. nordeskioeldii 是這些物種的次要同物異名。他還認(rèn)為 Phalarodon 屬中的幾個(gè)物種是兩個(gè)有效的混合龍物種的同義詞。
??? 波恩古生物學(xué)研究所的 Martin Sander 將在德國卡爾施塔特發(fā)現(xiàn)的魚龍命名為 Shastasaurus neubigi，以紀(jì)念它的發(fā)現(xiàn)者。該標(biāo)本起源于沉積在淺海中的 Muschelkalk。由于水域很淺，而且在 Muschelkalk Sander 中很少發(fā)現(xiàn)大型魚龍，因此桑德推測魚龍進(jìn)入了該地區(qū)，后來它在偏離正常物種分布范圍的情況下意外進(jìn)入了該地區(qū)。
??? Fernández 描述了新的屬和種，即Caypullisaurus bonapartei。
??? Maisch 和 Matzke 描述了新的屬和種/Mikadocephalus gracilirostris。
??? Arkhangelsky 描述了后來被稱為Saveljeviensis 眼龍的物種。
??? Efimov 描述了后來被稱為 Platypterygius bedenensis 的物種。
??? Páramo 描述了新物種，即Platypterygius sachicarum

1998年
??? Motani, Minoura, and Ando published a discussion of the ichthyosaur Utatsusaurus. They noted its primitive position in the ichthyosaur family tree and the same number of vertebrae in the front part of its body as modern catsharks. They interpreted Utatsusaurus as a maneuverable shallow water predator that swam with eel-like undulations along most of its body length.
??? Maisch named the family Leptonectidae for a clade including Eurhinosaurus, Excalibosaurus, and Leptonectes. Distinguishing traits of the family include their large eyes, long flippers consisting of three or four main "digits", and their long over-biting snouts.
??? Maisch and Matzke erected the genus Wimanius. The generic name honored Carl Wiman, who performed notable research on Triassic ichthyosaurs. They also named the species Wimanius odontopalatus.
??? Maisch and Matzke described the new genus Contectopalatus. It had a high crest running the midlength of its cranium for jaw muscle attachment giving it a powerful bite. It also would have been about 16 feet long in life, making it twice as long as any previously discovered mixosaurid.
??? Maisch erected the genus Suevoleviathan to house the species Leptopterygius disinteger.
??? Darren Naish debunked the 1986 claim by Jurgen Riess that ichthyosaurs swam with their front flippers rather than their tail flukes. He concluded "if an animal has a propulsive surface on the end of its tail, it uses it."
??? Efimov described the species that would later come to be known as Brachypterygius pseudoscythius.
??? Brinkmann described the species that would later come to be known as Mixosaurus kuhnschnyderi.

1998年
??? Motani、Minoura 和 Ando 發(fā)表了一篇關(guān)于魚龍 Utatsusaurus 的討論。他們注意到它在魚龍族譜中的原始位置，其身體前部的椎骨數(shù)量與現(xiàn)代貓鯊相同。它的體長。
??? Maisch 將 Leptonectidae 家族命名為包括 Eurhinosaurus、Excalibosaurus 和 Leptonectes 在內(nèi)的一個(gè)分支。該家族的顯著特征包括它們的大眼睛、由三四個(gè)主要“數(shù)字”組成的長鰭狀肢，以及它們長而過咬的鼻子。
??? Maisch 和 Matzke 建立了 Wimanius 屬。這個(gè)屬名是為了紀(jì)念 Carl Wiman，他對三疊紀(jì)魚龍進(jìn)行了著名的研究。他們還命名了 Wimanius odontopalatus。
??? Maisch 和 Matzke 描述了新屬 Contectopalatus。它的頭骨中部有一個(gè)很高的冠，用于下頜肌肉附著，使其具有強(qiáng)大的咬合力。它的壽命也有大約 16 英尺，是以前的兩倍長發(fā)現(xiàn)了混合龍科。
??? Maisch 建立了 Suevoleviathan 屬來容納 Leptopterygius disinteger 物種。
??? Darren Naish 駁斥了 Jurgen Riess 在 1986 年提出的魚龍用前鰭狀肢而不是尾鰭游泳的說法。他得出結(jié)論“如果動(dòng)物的尾巴末端有推進(jìn)表面，它就會(huì)使用它?！?br>??? Efimov 描述了后來被稱為 Brachypterygius pseudoscythius 的物種。
??? Brinkmann 描述了后來被稱為 Mixosaurus kuhnschnyderi 的物種。

1999年
??? Ryosuke Motani published a phylogeny of the ichthyosaurs. Motani regarded Thaisaurus as "incertae sedis" due to its pronounced similarity to Chaohusaurus and how little was known about its fossils. He also erected two new genera, Macgowania (named in honor of McGowan) and Isfjordosaurus (named after Isfjord, Spitsbergen).
??? The expedition to the Sikanni Chief River, British Columbia led by Elizabeth Nicholls of the Royal Tyrell Museum excavated the animal's 18 foot long skull, which had to be split into pieces for removal. These pieces were so heavy a cargo helicopter was needed to transport them. The largest weighed 8,860 lbs.
??? McGowan and Motani reported the results of their re-examination of the Shonisaurus specimens described by Camp from Berlin-Ichthyosaur state park. They concluded that of the three species Camp described from among the remains, only the type and most abundant species S. popularis was valid. The other two species he named, S. silberlingi and S. mulleri, were merely junior synonyms of S. popularis.
??? Motani, Rothschild, and Wahl found that Temnodontosaurus had eyes up to 10 inches in diameter, the largest known of any animal.
??? Fernandez described the new ichthyosaur genus Mollesaurus from the Los Molles Formation of Argentina. He also described the species Mollesaurus periallus.
??? Chun Li described the new ichthyosaur genus Qianichthyosaurus from Guizhou Province, China.
??? Lingham-Soliar proposed a model for ichthyosaur extinction whereby the evolution of fishes capable of greater swimming speeds during the Cretaceous favored ambush predators like plesiosaurs and the newly evolved mosasaurs over the ichthyosaurs, who succumbed to the competition.
??? McGowan and Milner described the new species Leptonectes moorei.
??? Efimov described the new genus and species Undorosaurus gorodischensis. Efimov also described the species that would later come to be known as Ophthalmosaurus yasikovi.
??? Li described the new genus and species Qianichthyosaurus zhoui.

1999年
??? Ryosuke Motani 發(fā)表了魚龍的系統(tǒng)發(fā)育。Motani 將 Thaisaurus 視為“incertae sedis”，因?yàn)樗c Chaohusaurus 有明顯的相似性，并且對其化石知之甚少。他還建立了兩個(gè)新屬，Macgowania（以 McGowan 命名）和 Isfjordosaurus （以斯匹次卑爾根島的伊斯峽灣命名）。
??? 皇家泰瑞爾博物館的伊麗莎白·尼科爾斯 (Elizabeth Nicholls) 率領(lǐng)的不列顛哥倫比亞省 Sikanni Chief River 探險(xiǎn)隊(duì)挖掘了該動(dòng)物 18 英尺長的頭骨，必須將其拆成碎片才能移除。最大的重達(dá) 8,860 磅。
??? McGowan 和 Motani 報(bào)告了他們對柏林魚龍州立公園 Camp 描述的 Shonisaurus 標(biāo)本進(jìn)行重新檢查的結(jié)果。他們得出結(jié)論，在 Camp 描述的三個(gè)物種中，只有 S.popularis 的類型和最豐富的物種是有效。他命名的另外兩個(gè)物種，S. silberlingi 和 S. mulleri，只是 S. popularis 的初級同義詞。
??? Motani、Rothschild 和 Wahl 發(fā)現(xiàn) Temnodontosaurus 的眼睛直徑達(dá) 10 英寸，是已知的最大的動(dòng)物。
??? Fernandez 描述了來自阿根廷 Los Molles 組的新魚龍屬 Mollesaurus，他還描述了 Mollesaurus periallus。
??? 春麗描述了來自中國貴州省的魚龍新屬千魚龍。
??? Lingham-Soliar 提出了一種魚龍滅絕模型，該模型實(shí)質(zhì)上是在白堊紀(jì)期間能夠以更高速度游動(dòng)的魚類的進(jìn)化，它們喜歡伏擊捕食者，如蛇頸龍和新進(jìn)化的滄龍，而魚龍則在競爭中屈服。
??? McGowan 和 Milner 描述了新物種 Leptonectes moorei。
??? Efimov 還描述了新的屬和種 Undorosaurus gorodischensis. Efimov 還描述了后來被稱為 Ophthalmosaurus yasikovi 的物種。
??? Li 描述了新屬和新種千魚龍 zhoui。

下圖為主要的魚龍形下綱物種的化石發(fā)現(xiàn)者與化石研究者下