The Isle of Wight is known for its fossil deposits. Now a previously unknown species of dinosaur has been discovered on an island in the south of England – the discovery is the best-preserved skeleton in a long time.
A previously unknown dinosaur has been discovered in Great Britain. The discovery is said to be the most complete dinosaur skeleton discovered in Britain in a century with 149 bones.
The animal, named “Comptonatus sassi”, was discovered on the Isle of Wight. The island in the south of England is known for its rich fossil deposits. It is the eighth dinosaur species discovered in the last five years.
Feet represent a way of life
It is a combination of the place where it was discovered, Compton Bay, and the name of the late explorer Nick Chase. Dinosaur lived about 125 million years ago. It is a herbivore weighing a ton and the size of a male bison.
“Comptonatus Chasei” belonged to the group Iguanodontia and probably lived in herds. Jeremy Lockwood said it was suggested by dinosaur footprints found nearby. A doctoral student at the University of Portsmouth examined the fossil. “Large herds of these dinosaurs probably shook the floodplains here when they were startled by predators,” the researcher said.
Lockwood said the discovery shows the Isle of Wight and surrounding areas were once one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet.
Discovery provides information about Mass destruction
Scientists hope the discovery, published in the Journal of Systematic Paleontology, will provide information on how habitats recovered after the mass extinction at the end of the Jurassic period. Palaeontologist Susannock Maidment of the National History Museum in London said the fossil indicates rapid evolution in iguanodont dinosaurs.
In 2022, the remains of a flesh-eating dinosaur were already discovered on the island. The skeleton belonged to a predator larger than anything previously known from Europe.
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