Giclee reprint of an original lithograph from Thomas Hawkins’ The Book of the Great Sea-dragons, Ichthyosauri and Plesiosauri, published in London in 1840.

Thomas Hawkins (1810–1889) was an eccentric, highly passionate English fossil collector and dealer. He amassed one of the finest collections of marine reptile fossils from the Lower Lias limestone deposits of Somerset and Dorset (including specimens excavated near Lyme Regis, closely connected to Mary Anning’s legendary finds). He eventually sold his vast collection to the British Museum.

Living during the early Jurassic Period, the Ichthyosaurus (literally "fish-lizard") is one of natural history's most famous examples of convergent evolution. Though a true marine reptile, its streamlined body shape, dorsal stabilizer, and tail architecture perfectly mirrored the modern dolphin or porpoise.