Updated 12 February 2002, 09.01

The dinosaur vomit is 160 million years old

What the ichthyosaurs looked like

The sick discovery's thought to have come from a huge marine reptile called an ichthyosaur that swam around 160 million years ago.

Ichthyosaurs were around in the Jurassic period and were very similar to dolphins in size and shape.

Sea sick?

The stinky mess was found in an old clay quarry in Peterborough by two scientists, Professor Peter Doyle and Dr Jason Wood.

Professor Doyle with the sick

The vomit was full of shells from little squid-like shellfish called belemnites which were the favourite ichthyosaur snack, according to scientists.

When they finished their fishy snacking, the ichthyosaur would bring up their bullet-like shells in same way modern day sperm whales do.

Professor Doyle said: "We believe that this is the first time the existence of fossil vomit on a grand scale has been proven beyond reasonable doubt".

Let's hope there are plenty more sick discoveries to come!

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