Spinosaurid dinosaur had two legs and a crocodile-like face. They were discovered on an island off the south coast of England by dinosaur hunter Nick Chase, who has since passed away.
On the Isle of Wight, the remains of Europe’s largest land-based predator dinosaur have been discovered.
The dinosaur, whose length exceeded 10 meters, existed 125 million years ago.
Several two-legged, crocodile-faced spinosaurid dinosaur bones have been uncovered on an island off the southern coast of England and analyzed by experts from the University of Southampton.
Chris Barker, a Ph.D. candidate, remarked, “This was an enormous beast, topping 10 meters in length and weighing many tonnes.”
“Based on some of its measurements, it appears to be one of the largest predatory dinosaur yet discovered in Europe, if not the largest.
Unfortunately, just a tiny amount of evidence exists, but these are sufficient to demonstrate that it was an enormous creature.
Huge pelvic and tail vertebrae were discovered among the remains of the ‘White Rock spinosaurid’, so named because of the geological strata in which they were located. It has not yet been designated a scientific name.
Co-author Darren Naish stated, “This new animal strengthens our prior theory, published last year, that spinosaurid dinosaur originated and diversified in western Europe before becoming more widespread.
Huge pelvic and tail vertebrae were discovered among the remains of the ‘White Rock spinosaurid’, so named because of the geological strata in which they were located.
They were discovered by dinosaur hunter Nick Chase, who has since passed away, in the Vectis Formation geological structure near Compton Chine, on the southwest coast of the Isle of Wight, and are now on display at the Dinosaur Isle Museum in Sandown.
Dr. Neil Gostling, stated: “This specimen was uniquely eroded from the Vectis Formation, which is notoriously devoid of dinosaur remains.
It is likely the youngest dinosaur material ever discovered in the United Kingdom.
Darren Naish reported: “This new species bolsters our prior theory, which was published a year ago, that spinosaurid dinosaurs originated and diversified in western Europe before becoming more prevalent.
“We hope that more remains may eventually be discovered.
Because it is currently only known from fragments, we have not assigned it a proper scientific name.
Marks on the bone, including small tunnels carved into a pelvic mass, indicate, according to the experts, that the body of the huge dinosaur would have been picked over by scavengers and decomposers after it died.
Ph.D. candidate at the University of Portsmouth and the Natural History Museum, co-author Jeremy Lockwood, stated: “We believe they were created by larvae of a type of scavenger beetle that feeds on bone.
It’s a fascinating concept that this big predator becomes food for a multitude of insects.
We hope that further remains may eventually be discovered.
Dinosaur hunter Nick Chase, who has since passed away, discovered the bones near Compton Chine on the southwest shore of the island; they are now on exhibit at the Dinosaur Isle Museum in Sandown.
Scientists hypothesize that scavengers and decomposers would have scavenged the carcass of the huge dinosaur after it died, as evidenced by little tunnels drilled into a pelvic bulge.
Co-author Jeremy Lockwood, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Portsmouth and the Natural History Museum, remarked, “It’s an amazing concept that this enormous predator becomes a feast for a multitude of insects.”
