Father-Daughter Team Helps Discover Giant Prehistoric Ocean Reptile
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Fossils found by a father-daughter team has led to the discovery of a new, massive species of ichthyosaur. The marine reptiles dominated the seas during the Triassic and Jurassic periods (251 to 145 million years ago). Often referred to as "fish-lizards," they shared physical similarities with dolphins and whales but were, in fact, members of the reptile family.
The events leading to the exciting find began in spring 2020, when Justin Reynolds and his 11-year-old daughter Ruby went fossil hunting on Blue Anchor Beach in Somerset, England. The region is well-known for its rich deposits of fish and reptile fossils from the Triassic-era.
After carefully scouring the beach, the amateur paleontologists discovered a four-inch (10 cm) long oval fossil. Shortly after, Ruby found another piece of fossilized bone in the same area. This one was twice as big. Following some research, Justin made an educated guess that the bones were from an ichthyosaur. An email to Dr. Dean Lomax, a marine reptile expert at the University of Manchester, confirmed his hunch.
"It's interesting because 95 percent of the time, it turns out to be an odd-shaped rock. You have to politely and gently let them down,” Dr. Lomax said. "Justin and Ruby’s email is an example of the other 5 percent of the time."
Dr. Lomax and his team invited the Reynolds to help them find additional pieces of the intriguing fossil. Their quest ended in October 2022 when they finally gathered enough pieces to reconstruct a section of the marine reptile's lower jaw. Analysis revealed that, if complete, the jaw would have measured over six feet (1.8 m) long. By comparing the bone fragments to those of other giant ichthyosaurs, the scientists estimated the new specimen's length to be a staggering 80 feet (24 m) — the equivalent of two buses parked end to end. If true, it would rank as one of the largest marine animals to ever live.
The remains of the new specimen, along with those of another similar ichthyosaur found in 2016, enabled the scientists to classify it as a new species. The researchers named the creature Ichthyotitan severnensis, meaning "giant fish lizard of the Severn." Ruby and Justin were listed as co-authors in the study published in the journal PLOS One on April 17, 2024.
Ruby, now 15, is eager to continue her fossil-hunting adventures. “I didn’t realize when I first found the piece of ichthyosaur bone how important it was and what it would lead to,” she says. “I think the role that young people can play in science is to enjoy the journey of exploring as you never know where a discovery may take you.”
Resources: Washingtonpost.com, cbc.ca, abc.net.au, reuters.com
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23 Comments
dacaradafortine21 daysI think this is cool I wonder if Dinos are cute but just big with sharp teeth since I see those on tiktok! Doing this for a current event btw :>
lilyh3136 monthsThis is really cool!
me_like_dogz6 monthsthis is cool, I love ancient animals
bruh9_m12347 monthsHow cool!
jackaltherian7 monthsAwsome!
justyourcowgirl7 monthsThis is like sooo cool and interesting. now I'm curious how big it was compared to a human and how it went extincted.- chubbydonald17 monthswell it obviously went extinct with the dinosaurs
singularity_426 monthsNot necessarily, It could have lived beyond, there were many Mass Extinctions past the death of the Dinosaurs. It is possible, though!
starflight87 monthsif they find more it will a big scientific discovery.
troublemaker877 monthsThat is so cool they must have been down right huge
nam09097 monthsThose bones are so big it might be the biggest bone I've ever seen
dinodeep13427 monthsThat is amazing! I love dinos!
