Sea dragon fossils dominate the Jurassic ocean

Fossil researchers in England found two new giant reptiles, dubbed "sea dragons" living at the same time as dinosaurs.

Paleontologist Dean Lomax of the University of Manchester, England and Judy Massare of Brockport University, New York, USA, discovered the ichthyosaur fossils of two new species after examining hundreds of specimens from Europe and North America. , BBC reported on October 6.

The skull of the ichthyosaur fossil.(Photo: University of Manchester).

Both fossils were excavated in Somerset, England in the 1800s. A specimen is located at the display of the Bristol University museum for three decades. The other specimen was donated by Thomas Hawkins, a famous Victorian fossil collector in England, to the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, USA in 1847.

"These are two completely new species that science never knew. They showed that in the early Jurassic period about 200 million years ago, ichythyosaur was more diverse than the previous concept , " Lomax said.

Dean Lomax (middle) and Judy Massare (right) next to a complete fossil specimen.(Photo: Dean Lomax).

The ichthyosaur fish lizard , also known as "dragonfish" , is a terrifying predator with a length of up to 15m. This dolphin-like creature living in the sea during the British period was a small island. The ichythyosaur fossil is among the first ancient skeletons discovered in England.

The researchers identified two new species of fossils based on different characteristics in their skulls and bones. The Philadelphia specimen was named Ichthyosaurus somersetensis according to where it was found. Fossils at Bristol University named Ichthyosaurus larkini in honor of paleontologist Nigel Larkin.

"It is interesting that Judy Massare and I found the complete skeleton while examining the specimen. In my opinion, this is the best example of the ichthyosaur species ever collected and studied," Lomax said.