Giant reptile found ‘well-preserved in belly of larger carnivore’

The ichthyosaur specimen with its stomach contents visible as a block that extrudes from the body

An ancient four-metre-long reptile has been found well-preserved in the stomach of a slightly larger marine carnivore that lived around 240 million years ago.

Scientists say the fossil, which was discovered in southwestern China, could be the first evidence of megapredation – a large animal preying on another large animal.