Europe S Largest Predator Dinosaur Found By British Fossil Hunter

A giant crocodile-faced dinosaur, discovered on the Isle of Wight by one of Britain’s best fossil hunters, was probably the largest predator ever to chase Europe, scientists said on Thursday. Most of the bones of the bipedal spinosaurus were found by the late local collector Nick Chase, who dedicated his life to combing the island’s beaches off the south coast of England for dinosaur remains. Researchers at the University of Southampton then used the few bones that were available to identify what they called a “white rock spinosaurus,” according to a study published in the journal. PeerJ. “This was a huge animal, more than 10 meters (33 feet) long and judging by some of the dimensions, it probably represents the largest predatory dinosaur ever found in Europe,” said Chris Barker, Ph.D. student who led the study. While acknowledging that it would be better to have more bones, Barker told AFP that “the numbers do not lie — they are larger than the largest known specimen” previously found in Europe. Thomas Richard Holtz, a vertebrate paleontologist from the University of Maryland who did not participate in the study, agreed that the new find “appears to be larger” than a huge predator whose fossil remains were discovered in Portugal. Matt Lamanna, a dinosaur paleontologist at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in the United States, praised the “excellent, thorough study of the specimen” given the lack of bones, but said it was difficult to compare sizes. For example, he said that the largest known spinosaurus, Spinosaurus, was probably the longest such dinosaur “but probably not as heavy” as Tyrannosaurus rex or Giganotosaurus – “the last of whom will become super famous thanks to the new movie” Jurassic World »». The best preserved bones of the spinosaurus Wight Rock, including a tail vertebra that helped show its enormous size. Why the long face? The White Rock spinosaurus – which researchers hope to officially name as a new species – dates back to the Early Cretaceous and is estimated to be about 125 million years old. Barker said this makes him the youngest spinosaurus found in Britain, two or three million years younger than the famous Baryonyx. Spinosaurs are known for their elongated heads. Instead of having the skull box of a Tyrannosaurus rex, their faces look more like those of a crocodile. A basic theory to explain this feature is that they hunted on water as well as on land. “They’re like storks and herons, coming in and grabbing fish from the surface,” Barker said. The spinosaurus White Rock was discovered in a coastal lagoon environment where a few dinosaur fossils are usually found. “It helps to start painting a picture of what animals lived at that time, which is a very little known part of the English palaeontological heritage,” Barker added. Nick Chase, dubbed by scientists “one of Britain’s most skilled dinosaur hunters”, has found most of the new spinosaur bones. The team had already identified two new species of finches on the Isle of Wight, including Ceratosuchops inferodios – dubbed the “heron of hell”. “This new animal reinforces our previous argument – published last year – that dinosaurs originated and diversified in Western Europe before they became more widespread,” said study co-author Darren Naish. The “strange ability” of the collector Palaeontologists paid tribute to Chase, who always donated whatever bones he found to museums. “Most of these amazing fossils were found by Nick Chase, one of Britain’s most talented dinosaur hunters, who sadly died shortly before the COVID epidemic,” said study co-author Jeremy Lockwood, Ph.D. student at the University of Portsmouth. Barker said Chase’s “unusual ability” to find bones showed that “it’s not just professional paleontologists who have an impact on the industry.” The discovery “emphasizes the fact that collectors have a major role to play in modern paleontology and their generosity helps science move forward,” he added. And if there are would-be fossil hunters hoping to continue where Chase left off, paleontologists would welcome more White Rock spin-bones. “We hope a passerby can take some pieces and donate them,” Barker said. Europe’s largest predator discovered on the Isle of Wight More info: Chris T. Barker et al, A European Giant: A Large Dinosauria (Theropoda) from the Vectis Formation (Wealden Group, Early Cretaceous), PeerJ (2022). DOI: 10.7717 / peerj.13543 Magazine information: PeerJ © 2022 AFP
Reference: Europe’s “largest predator dinosaur” found by British fossil hunter (2022, June 11) recovered on June 11, 2022 by
This document is subject to copyright. Except for any fair transaction for the purposes of private study or research, no part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission. Content is provided for informational purposes only.