A new species of marine reptile of the Jurassic era was identified from fossils found on the Scottish island of Skye. These creatures like dolphins were up to 14 meters from nose to tail, and dwelt warm, shallow seas around Scotland about 170 million years ago, according to researchers. They were near the top of the food chain at the time and took advantage of fish and other reptiles.
A team of paleontologists led by the University of Edinburgh and includes many Scottish institutions, studied fossil fragments skulls, teeth, vertebrae and a bone of the upper wing unearthed on the island over the past 50 years.
They identified several examples of extinct aquatic animals, known as ictiosaurios- that lived during the Early and Middle Jurassic including entirely new species.
“During the time of the dinosaurs, in Scottish waters reptiles roamed large size boats. Its fossils are very rare, and only now, for the first time, have found a new species that was unique in Scotland, “says Steve Brusatte, School of Geosciences. “Without the generosity of collectors who donated the bones to a museum rather than keep them or sell them, you would never have known that there was this incredible animal.”
Gaelic name
-Dearcmhara shawcrossi- The new species is named in honor of an enthusiastic amateur, Brian Shawcross, who recovered fossil creature in 1959. Dearcmhara means Scottish Gaelic marine lizard, and pays homage to the history of Skye and the Hebrides. The species is one of the few that has been given a Gaelic name.
During the Jurassic Period, much of Skye was under water. At that time, he joined the rest of the UK and was part of a large island between the land masses gradually distanced and became Europe and North America.
Skye is one of the Few places in the world where you can find fossils from the Middle Jurassic Period. The team says the findings could provide valuable information on how marine reptiles evolved. The study is published in the Scottish Journal of Geology .
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