Ichthyosaur fossil found in UK
A 10-meter long Ichthyosaur also called the “Sea Dragon” fossil was found in a UK reservoir by British palaeontologists. Joe Davis of the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust discovered it during the routine draining of a lagoon island at the Rutland Water reservoir in February 2021 and then he suspected it to be a Dinosaur and reported it to British palaeontology.
Palaeontologists post their research said that is an Ichthyosaur fossil, an amazing creature that was once swimming in seas above us.
Nigel Lakin tweeted that the total weight of the skeleton was about 3 tonnes. This discovery has been considered as one of the greatest finds in the history of British palaeontology.
Ichthyosaur, an aquatic reptile that was very similar to porpoises in appearance and habits. They were able to move through the water at high speeds. Very fishlike in appearance, similar in shape to dolphins, sea dragons varied in size from 1-25 metres.
Ichthyosaurs are first known from the Triassic Period of Asia, where they began as long-bodied, undulating swimmers without many of the specializations seen in later species. By the Late Triassic, some lineages had achieved great size. Fossils from the western United States and Canada indicate that some ichthyosaurs could exceed 13 metres (43 feet) in length.
The first ichthyosaurs, which are called sea dragons because they tend to have very large teeth and eyes, were discovered by the fossil hunter and palaeontologist Mary Anning in the early 19th century.
These ichthyosauri had become extinct 9 crores years ago. Though, many ichthyosaur fossils were found in Britain Lomax told BBC that the Rutland ichthyosaur is the largest skeleton ever found in the UK and he also added that Britain was the birthplace of ichthyosaurs – their fossils have been unearthed there for over 200 years.
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It was only after our exploratory dig that the palaeontologist realised that it was practically complete to the tip of the tail. Mark Evans of the British Antarctic Survey, who has been studying the Jurassic fossil reptiles for more than 20 years, told the Guardian that “It’s a highly significant discovery both nationally and internationally but also of huge importance to the people of Rutland and the surrounding area.”
The fossil is currently being studied and conserved at an undisclosed location in Shropshire but it is expected to be returned to Rutland for permanent display.
References:
https://www.britannica.com/animal/ichthyosaur