The find surprised paleontologists: they will have to revise their knowledge
A new species of “armored” dinosaur was discovered on the English Isle of Wight. Experts say previous ankylosaurus remains on the island will have to be revised in light of the new find.
The Isle of Wight, located in the English Channel at a distance of 5-8 km from the coast of Hampshire, was discovered a new species of dinosaur with an armored body.
An ancient reptile has been found in a fossil site dating from 145 million to 66 million years ago called the Wessex Foundation, according to Sky News.
The new species belongs to the group of herbivorous ankylosaurs and was named Vectipelta barretti — in honor of Professor Paul Barrett, who worked at the Museum of Natural History for 20 years.
This is the second armored dinosaur found on the island after the discovery of a representative of the species Polacanthus foxii in 1865.
The bones of the neck and back of the new find differ from those of its predecessor, and analysis showed contrasting structures in the pelvis and more spiked armor.
In ankylosaurs, an appearance feature is its «armor», consisting of massive bumps and bony plates or scutes called osteoderms.
Experts say that the newly found dinosaur is most closely related to some Chinese ankylosaurs, suggesting that they roamed between Asia and Europe in the early Cretaceous.
Stuart Pond, a researcher at the Natural History Museum, said: «For almost 142 years, all the remains of the Ankylosaurus from the Isle of Wight have been assigned to Polacanthus foxii … now all these finds need to be revised because we have described this new species.» /p>
He added, «This is an important specimen because it sheds light on the diversity of ankylosaurs within the Wessex Formation and Early Cretaceous England.»
Professor Paul Barrett said he was «flattered and absolutely delighted» that the dinosaur was named after him, and that any physical resemblance is «purely coincidental.»
Study published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.
Last year, paleontologists announced the discovery of a previously unknown small armored dinosaur in southern Argentina, a creature that likely walked upright on its hind legs, roaming the then wet landscape about 100 million years ago.
According to them, this Cretaceous dinosaur would have been well protected by rows of bone disc-shaped armor along the neck and back and all the way to the tail. It was about 1.5 meters long and weighed only 4-7 kg, like an average domestic cat.
Its fossilized remains were excavated over the past decade near a dam in Patagonia, in the paleontological zone of La Buitrera province of the Rio Negro.
Scientists say this dinosaur marked the first of its kind discovery of an armored dinosaur from the Cretaceous period in South America. It is part of a group of thyrophoran dinosaurs that includes species such as the Stegosaurus, known for its bony dorsal plates and spiked tail, and the tank-like Ankylosaurus, which is covered in armor and has a mace-like tail.