Daily Dino Fact: The Ichthyosaurs are watching you

Q: What was the dinosaur with the biggest eyes? -Snow

A: Thanks for the question Snow! These guys weren’t technically dinosaurs, but Ichthyosaurs

were among the most dangerous sea reptiles of the Mesozoic era. They looked like dolphins but

were much, much larger (up to 10m/32ft long). The important thing here is that they boast the

largest eyes of any animal of ALL TIME.

The largest eye measurement from an Ichthyosaur comes from Temnodontosaurus burgundiae

(pictured above), measuring 264mm (10in) across. The eye plates you see in the photograph are

actually bones called sclerotic rings. It is believed that these rings helped keep the eyeball into

place.

-Rex