Fossil found on UK coast is unique ‘sword dragon’ species

A nearly complete skeleton found on the Jurassic coast of Dorset has been identified as a new species of ichthyosaur, a type of prehistoric marine reptile that once dominated the oceans.

The dolphin-sized ichthyosaur has been named Xiphodracon goldencapensis, or “sword dragon of Dorset”, and is the only known example of its kind.

Marks on the skull suggest the “sword dragon” may have been killed by a bite to the head, possibly inflicted by a much larger species of ichthyosaur, scientists say.

The new ichthyosaur, first discovered in 2001 by a prolific fossil hunter at Golden Cap in Dorset, was later acquired by a museum in Canada.

It was recently fully analyzed by experts and a paper was published describing it as a new species of ichthyosaur.

Ichthyosaur expert Dr., one of the authors of the article describing the skeleton as a new species. “I thought long and hard about the name,” Dean Lomax said.

“Xiphodracon means sword-like dragon, which refers to the very long, sword-like snout, but also refers to the fact that ichthyosaurs have been called sea dragons for about 200 years.”

Because Ichthyosaurs spent their lives in water, they are classified as marine reptiles, not dinosaurs. This particular ichthyosaur is thought to have swam the seas about 185 million years ago, a period when very few ichthyosaur fossils have been found.

“Ichtinosaurs from this period are incredibly rare and Xiphodracon is the most complete individual ever found, helping to fill a gap,” Dr Lomax said. “A missing piece of the puzzle in ichthyosaur evolution.”

The “sword dragon” is thought to have been about 3 meters long and had many features not seen in other ichthyosaur species. Scientists say the strangest detail is the pointed bone near the nostril. The skull has a huge eye socket and a long sword-like snout used for eating fish and squid.

There are also clues as to how this particular specimen lived and died.

Dr., one of the authors of the study from the Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History. “The limb bones and teeth were malformed in a way that would indicate serious injury or disease while the animal was still alive,” Erin Maxwell said.

“The skull appears to have been bitten off by a large predator (possibly a much larger ichthyosaur species), giving us the cause of death for this individual. Life in the Mesozoic oceans was a dangerous prospect.”

The ‘sword dragon’ is one of many ichthyosaur fossils found on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast since pioneering paleontologist Mary Anning’s initial discoveries in the early 1800s.

This “sword dragon” was discovered by fossil hunter Chris Moore in 2001 and later acquired by the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada; It took more than 15 years to be fully analyzed here.

“I don’t want to blow my own ichthyosaur trumpet, but I found a few,” Mr. Moore said in a video call from Dorset.

The actual number he uncovered is around 15, and many of them, such as the “sword dragon”, turned out to be new species.

Mr Moore said he planned to celebrate the new discovery but had not yet decided how to do so.

“Champagne or a cup of tea, I’m not sure which yet,” he says.