UK: Massive 'sea dragon' found in Midlands dubbed as one of greatest finds, says report

The discovery of a massive prehistoric "sea dragon" in the Midlands has been dubbed one of the greatest finds in British palaeontology history. The ichthyosaur is the largest and most complete fossil of its kind ever discovered in the United Kingdom, with a skeleton measuring around 10 metres in length and a skull weighing about a tonne, The Guardian reported. In February 2021, Joe Davis of the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust discovered it while draining a lagoon island at the Rutland Water reservoir. 

The earliest ichthyosaurs, also known as sea dragons because of their huge teeth and eyes, were discovered in the early 19th century by Mary Anning - a fossil hunter and palaeontologist. According to Dean Lomax, a palaeontologist who has studied the species, many ichthyosaur fossils have been found in the UK but the Rutland ichthyosaur is the largest skeleton ever discovered in the country.  It's a once-in-a-lifetime find and one of the most significant in British palaeontological history, he added as per the British News outlet. 

Ichthyosaurs first appeared about 250 million years ago

According to the report, Ichthyosaurs were aquatic reptiles that first appeared about 250 million years ago and perished out about 90 million years ago. They ranged in length from 1 to more than 25 metres and had a body shape that was similar to that of dolphins. Last year in the month of August, a team of experts from across the UK dug up the remains. During the construction of Rutland Water in the 1970s, two partial and considerably smaller ichthyosaurs were discovered, but the latest discovery is the first complete skeleton. 

Mark Evans of the British Antarctic Survey, who has spent more than 20 years studying the Jurassic fossil reptiles of Rutland and Leicestershire, stated that it was evident from the first view of the partially exposed fossil that it was the region's largest ichthyosaur. "However, it was only after our team dig, we realised it was a complete skeleton," he added as per The Guardian.