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One of the Largest ‘Sea Dragon’ Fossils Ever Found in Britain Unearthed As a Complete Ichthyosaur
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One of the Largest ‘Sea Dragon’ Fossils Ever Found in Britain Unearthed As a Complete Ichthyosaur

At the bottom of a muddy lagoon, conservationists stumbled upon the largest complete ichthyosaur skeleton ever found in the UK.

Science & Tech

A fossil of a giant sea reptile found in England is being called the greatest find in the history of British paleontology.

A complete ichthyosaur skeleton from tooth to tail was discovered in the mud of a lagoon in Rutland Water Nature Reserve. It’s is in such pristine condition that it looks as if it could have died recently.

At nearly 30-feet long with a 7-foot skull, it’s the biggest and most complete skeleton of its kind found to date in the UK and is also thought to be the first ichthyosaur of its species (Temnodontosaurus trigonodon) found in the country. The discovery recently made headlines after the broadcast of a BBC 2 special called Digging for Britain.

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During a routine draining of the lagoon in the Rutland Water Nature Reserve in February 2021, Conservation Manager Joe Davis noticed what appeared like a set of clay pipes while he was walking across the exposed mudflats

“They [the pipes] looked organic. I worked out on the Hebrides, so I’ve found whale and dolphin skeletons before. This appeared similar and I remarked to [Reserve Officer] Paul Trevor that they looked like vertebrae,” Davis recounts in a statement. “We followed what indisputably looked like a spine and Paul discovered something further along that could have been a jawbone. We couldn’t quite believe it.”

“The find has been absolutely fascinating and a real career highlight, it’s great to learn so much from the discovery—and to think that this amazing creature was once swimming in seas above us.” (Watch the video below…)

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/ichthyosaur-fossil-found-in-britain-largest-of-its-kind/