A ground-breaking discovery on the Isle of Wight has revealed the most complete dinosaur fossil found in Britain in a century. The new species, named Comptonatus chasei, offers a unique insight into the diverse dinosaur ecosystems that flourished in Early Cretaceous England.
Excavation of Comptonatus chasei
In 2013, fossil collector Nick Chase discovered an exceptionally well-preserved dinosaur skeleton in the rocks of Compton Bay on the Isle of Wight. Unfortunately, Chase died of cancer before the significance of his discovery was fully understood. Dr Jeremy Lockwood, a retired GP and postgraduate student at the University of Portsmouth, led the dig and spent years painstakingly analyzing the 149 bones that make up the skeleton.
Lockwood identified the fossil as a new genus and species, honoring Chase by naming it Comptonatus chasei. Estimated to be about 125 million years old, this new dinosaur provides valuable information about the evolution and diversity of dinosaurs during the early Cretaceous period.
A unique specimen
Originally thought to be a well-known species called Mantellisaurus, Lockwood's further research revealed distinctive features that set Comptonatus chasei apart. It is noteworthy that the lower jaw of the dinosaur has a straight edge, unlike the curved jaw of most iguanodonts. It also boasts an extremely large pubic bone, comparable in size to a dinner plate, which may have implications for muscle attachment, locomotion, and possibly even respiratory mechanisms.
The importance of discovery
Dr Susanna Maidment, a senior research fellow at the Natural History Museum and senior author of a paper published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, highlighted the importance of the find. She praised Dr Lockwood's detailed work, saying it had increased our understanding of dinosaur diversity in southern England.
The discovery of Comptonatus chasei adds to a series of recent finds on the Isle of Wight, highlighting the region's rich palaeontological heritage. Although only four new species of dinosaur were described in the 20th century, eight new species have been named in the past five years alone.
Preservation of natural heritage
The fossil has been added to the collections of the Dinosaur Island Museum at Sandown on the Isle of Wight, where research continues to reveal new insights. Dr. Martin Munt, the museum's curator, emphasized the importance of preserving the island's landscapes for future generations to explore and learn from.
Mike Greenslide, the National Trust's Isle of Wight general manager, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the island's palaeontological significance and the need to protect its natural heritage.
The discovery of Comptonatus chasei is a testament to the dedication of fossil collectors like Nick Chase and the painstaking research of paleontologists like Dr. Jeremy Lockwood. This new species not only enriches our understanding of dinosaur evolution, but also highlights the Isle of Wight as a treasure trove of prehistoric life waiting to be discovered.
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