Discover two new species of crocodile-skull dinosaurs

On one of the many islands that belong to the British archipelago, English paleontologists from the University of Southampton have discovered on the Isle of Wight bones belonging to two new species of spinosaurus, a group of predatory theropod dinosaurs closely related to the giant Spinosaurus.

The news, published this week, results from the study carried out from the unusual skulls found in the shape of a crocodile. It was this form that helped these animals expand their diet, which allowed them hunt prey both on land and in water.

The bones found in the beach near Brightstone spanning periods of several years. Keen-eyed fossil collectors first found parts of two skulls, and a team from the Dinosaur Isle Museum recovered much of a tail. In total, more than 50 bones have been found in the rocky site that is part of the Wessex Formation, deposited over 125 million years ago during the Lower Cretaceous.

The only spinosaurid skeleton previously discovered in the UK belonged to Baryonyx, which was originally discovered in 1983 in a Surrey quarry. Most other discoveries since then have been limited to single teeth and single bones. The bone analysis carried out at the University of Southampton and Posted in Scientific reports and Nature suggested that they belonged to species of dinosaurs previously unknown to science.

“We discovered that skulls differ not only from Baryonyx , but also with each other, suggesting that the The UK is home to a greater diversity of spinosaurids than previously thoughtSaid Chris Barker, a doctoral student at the University of Southampton and lead author of the study. The discovery of spinosaurid dinosaurs on the Isle of Wight was long in coming. “We have known for twenty years that dinosaurs similar to Baryonyx should be discovered on the Isle of Wight, but finding the remains of two of these animals in close succession was a big surprise “, commented the co-author Darren Naish, specialist in British theropod dinosaurs.

The first specimen found was called Lower Ceratosuchops, resulting in “horned crocodile face hell heron”. With a series of low horns and bumps adorning the forehead region, the name also refers to the likely hunting style of the predator, which would be similar to that of a heron. Herons capture aquatic prey at the edge of streams, but their diet is much more flexible than is commonly thought and they can include terrestrial prey as well.

The second was called Riparovenator milnerae. This translates to “the hunter of Milner’s bank”, in honor of esteemed British paleontologist Angela Milner, who recently passed away. Dr Milner had previously studied and appointed Baryonyx, a major paleontological event whose discovery has dramatically improved our understanding of these distinctive predators. His colleague David Hone, co-author of Queen Mary University in London, added: “It may seem strange to have two similar and closely related carnivores in the same ecosystem, but it is actually very common for dinosaurs. and many living ecosystems.

Although the skeletons are incomplete, the researchers believe that the two Ceratosuchops What Repairer they were about thirty feet long, capturing prey with their three foot long skulls. The study also suggested how spinosaurids first evolved in Europe, before dispersing to Asia, Africa and South America. Dr Neil J. Gostling of the University of Southampton oversaw the project and announced: “This work brought together universities, the Dinosaur Isle Museum, and the public to reveal these incredible dinosaurs and the incredibly diverse ecology of the south coast of England 125 million years ago.“. The Lower Cretaceous rocks on the Isle of Wight describe an ancient floodplain environment bathed in a Mediterranean climate. Although generally pleasant, forest fires have sometimes devastated the landscape, and today scorched wood remains can be seen along the cliffs. With a large river and other bodies of water that attract dinosaurs and are home to various fish, sharks, and crocodiles, the habitat has provided the newly discovered spinosaurids with plenty of hunting opportunities.

Yorkshire fossil collector Brian Foster, who made major contributions to the finds and publication, said: “This is the rarest and most exciting find I have made in over 30 years of collecting fossils.”. Collector Jeremy Lockwood, who lives on the Isle of Wight and has discovered several bones, added: “After finding the two muzzles, we realized that this would be something rare and unusual. Then it became more and more surprising when various collectors found and donated other pieces of this huge puzzle to the museum. “

Martin Munt, curator of the Dinosaur Island Museum, explained how these new findings solidify the Isle of Wight’s status as one of the best places for dinosaur remains in Europe. The project has also strengthened the way collectors, museums and universities can work together to find fossil specimens..

“On behalf of the museum, I would like to express our gratitude to collectors, including museum colleagues, who made these amazing discoveries and made them available for scientific research. We also congratulate the team who worked on and published these exciting findings, ”Munt concluded. The new fossils will be on display at the Dinosaur Isle Museum in Sandown.

KEEP READING: