Fossils of Xiphactinus have been found in various locations around the world

towards the end of the last glaciation

large eyes

around 68-66 million years ago

which would have given it a competitive advantage in its environment

Atopodentatus unicus Magnapaulia Fossils of Xiphactinus have beenAtopodentatus unicus was a marine reptile from the Middle Triassic of China, known from fossils recovered from the Guanling Formation in Yunnan Province. Initially described in 2014 by Cheng and colleagues, this taxon quickly became one of the most unusual marine reptiles in the fossil record due to the extraordinary morphology of its skull and dentition. Its generic name may be interpreted as strange dentition or unusual teeth, in reference to the