• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
UK's Largest Ever 'Sea Dragon' Fossil Discovered In Reservoir

Home> News

Published 10:10 10 Jan 2022 GMT

UK's Largest Ever 'Sea Dragon' Fossil Discovered In Reservoir

It's been hailed as one of the 'greatest finds' in British palaeontological history

Jake Massey

Jake Massey

The UK's largest ever 'sea dragon' fossil has been discovered in a reservoir in the Midlands.

The ichthyosaur, approximately 180 million years old with a skeleton measuring around 10 metres in length and a skull weighing approximately one tonne, has been hailed by scientists as one of the 'greatest finds' in British palaeontological history.

It was discovered by Joe Davis of Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust during a routine draining of a lagoon island at Rutland Water in February last year.

Joe stumbled upon the historic find last year.
Anglian Water

"I looked down at what seemed like stones or ridges in the mud and I said this looks a bit organic, a bit different," Joe told BBC News.

"Then we saw something that looked almost like a jawbone."

The first ichthyosaurs - which are called sea dragons because they tend to have very large teeth and eyes - were discovered by fossil hunter and palaeontologist Mary Anning in the early 19th century.

Dr Dean Lomax, a palaeontologist who has studied the species, said: "Despite the many ichthyosaur fossils found in Britain, it is remarkable to think that the Rutland ichthyosaur is the largest skeleton ever found in the UK.

"It is a truly unprecedented discovery and one of the greatest finds in British palaeontological history."

Ichthyosaurs, which were marine reptiles, first appeared around 250 million years ago and went extinct 90 million years ago, varying in size from one to more than 25 metres in length and resembling dolphins in general body shape.

This is what the big guy might have looked like back in the day.
Anglian Water

The remains were dug out by a team of expert palaeontologists from around the UK in August and September.

Two incomplete and much smaller ichthyosaurs were found during the initial construction of Rutland Water in the 1970s. However, the latest discovery is the first complete skeleton.

Anglian Water, which manages the Rutland reservoir, is now looking for funding to ensure the ichthyosaur stays in the area to be enjoyed by viewed by the general public.

Dr Mark Evans of the British Antarctic Survey said: "I've been studying the Jurassic fossil reptiles of Rutland and Leicestershire for over 20 years.

"When I first saw the initial exposure of the specimen with Joe Davis I could tell that it was the largest ichthyosaur known from either county.

"However, it was only after our exploratory dig that we realised that it was practically complete to the tip of the tail."

He added: "It’s a highly significant discovery both nationally and internationally but also of huge importance to the people of Rutland and the surrounding area."

Nigel Larkin, a specialist palaeontological conservator, said: "It's not often you are responsible for safely lifting a very important but very fragile fossil weighing that much.

"It is a responsibility, but I love a challenge. It was a very complex operation to uncover, record, and collect this important specimen safely."

The excavation of the remains will feature on BBC Two’s Digging For Britain tomorrow (Tuesday 11 January) at 8pm.

Featured Image Credit: Anglian Water

Topics: UK News, Science

Jake Massey
Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

X

@jakesmassey

Choose your content:

14 hours ago
15 hours ago
  • 14 hours ago

    Chilling truth behind seemingly normal family portrait dubbed ‘scariest photo ever taken’

    The Lawson family portrait is one of the most haunting and disturbing images ever

    News
  • 14 hours ago

    22-year-old diagnosed with life-threatening condition after her symptoms were dismissed as heatstroke

    Moli Morgan said that there 'were no warning signs for what was about to come'

    News
  • 14 hours ago

    Experts issue stark warning over ‘Monday blues’ as phenomenon could have very real threat to your health

    Brilliant, another reason to dread Mondays

    News
  • 15 hours ago

    Donald Trump threatens to illegally revoke citizenship of TV host Rosie O'Donnell

    The commander-in-chief described the comedian as a 'threat to humanity'

    News