-
- Scientists have discovered the near-complete fossil of
a 15ft-long ichthyosaur, a marine reptile that lived 185m years ago, in
a quarry near Whitby in North Yorkshire.
-
- The specimen, one of the best preserved ever found in
Britain, is in such good condition that palaeontologists have been able
to work out what it had for its last meal: a long-extinct squid-like creature.
-
- Its fossilised bones, including its head (which weighed
half a ton), had to be winched up the quarry's 450ft-high cliff face and
are now being prepared for more detailed study at a local workshop.
-
- Ichthyosaurs, which are classified as reptiles rather
than dinosaurs, roamed the earth's seas for 160m years until they became
extinct 90m years ago - before the disappearance of the dinosaurs.
-
- Fossilised ichthyosaurs were first discovered in 1815
by Mary Anning, a founder of modern palaeontology, close to Lyme Regis
in Dorset. A few years later they were also found on Yorkshire's east coast.
-
- The latest example was discovered by Brian Foster, a
local amateur palaeontologist. "I was going to search along the coast
for fossils, but because the tide was in I thought I would have a look
around this quarry," he said. "I started walking along this stream
that goes through the middle of it when I saw this tooth, then another,
2ft further along.
-
- "I then glanced round to the side and saw the snout
of this ichthyosaur sticking out of this little mound. The potential was
immediately obvious - this was a classic find. Because it was a quarry
you had none of the erosion problems concerned with tides. It also became
apparent that it was complete."
-
- It took a week to excavate the fossil, involving the
removal of seven tons of rock. The 10- strong team of amateur and professional
palaeontologists led by Phil Manning, from the Yorkshire Museum, completed
the task last Friday night.
-
- Manning said the find could provide clues to the origins
and nature of the creatures. "It is very important because we have
found several bones never seen before. There are small bones within the
hips and these help us answer which group they belong to. We will be able
to compare this to other groups around the world," he said.
-
- Michael Benton, professor of vertebrate palaeontology
at Bristol University, said the find was a rarity. "On the Yorkshire
coast you had a whole community of these creatures with maybe three to
four different types. To find something this long is pretty unusual; in
fact, it is a bit of a monster," he said.
-
-
-
- MainPage
http://www.rense.com
-
-
-
- This
Site Served by TheHostPros
|