| Dearcmhara Temporal range: Jurassic | |
|---|---|
| |
| An artist's illustration of Dearcmhara shawcrossi | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | †Ichthyosauria |
| Genus: | †Dearcmhara Brusatte et al., 2015 |
| Binomial name | |
| †Dearcmhara shawcrossi Brusatte et al., 2015 | |
Dearcmhara (Scottish Gaelic for "marine lizard") was an ichthyosaur that lived during the Middle Jurassic (170 mya). It is known from fossils discovered on Skye Island in Scotland. Much of the isle was underwater at the time, so it could swim freely in its ocean home. It was found by Brian Shawcross in the 1960s. However, it was only named in 2015. Its diet consisted of fish and ammonites.