Britain’s largest ‘sea dragon’ fossil has been found in a reservoir in Rutland ⛏️
inews.co.uk/news/sea-drago…
🐬The remains are the biggest and most complete Ichthyosaur skeleton ever found in the UK
🚌And it is longer than a double decker bus.
⬇️ Palaeontologist @Dean_R_Lomax for scale📏
🦖 The skeleton dates back 180 million years,
📏 It measures around 10 metres in length
🦴And the skull weighs in at around one tonne.
📍The discovery of the dinosaur - also known as the ‘sea dragon’ - was made at Rutland Water Nature Reserve, at a reservoir own by @AnglianWater.
❓What is an Ichthyosaur?
🐬They were marine reptiles that resembled dolphins. 🐬And were common in Britain until their extinction around 90 million years ago.
Palaeontologists have been finding their fossils in the UK for more than 200 years.
⛏️The Rutland remains were discovered by chance in February last year, during a routine draining of a lagoon for re-landscaping.
And it took a team of palaeontologists two months to excavate the fragile skeleton last summer.
📸: The team
The discovery has been hailed by experts as a “highly significant” and “unprecedented” palaeontological find.
Read more here from @MadeleineCuff ⬇️ inews.co.uk/news/sea-drago…
Watch the team uncover the huge Ichthyosaur skeleton⛏️
📍@RutlandWaterNR @LeicsWildlife
Read more: inews.co.uk/news/sea-drago…
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