🔗 Share this article

A nearly complete skeleton discovered along the Jurassic Coast has been classified as a previously unknown kind of ichthyosaur, a variety of prehistoric marine reptile that once ruled the oceans.

This marine creature ichthyosaur has been named Xiphodracon goldencapensis, or the "sword dragon of Dorset" and stands as the only known example of its type.

Scientists state that marks on its skull suggest the "sword dragon" may have been killed by a bite to the head, potentially inflicted by a much larger species of ichthyosaur.

First discovered by a prolific fossil collector at Golden Cap in Dorset in 2001, the new ichthyosaur was later acquired by a museum in Canada.

Only in recent times been fully analyzed by experts and a research document released classifying it as a new species of ichthyosaur.

"I carefully considered about the name," said ichthyosaur specialist Dr Dean Lomax, who co-authored the study identifying the skeleton as a new species.

"Xiphodracon translates to sword-like dragon and that is in reference to that extremely elongated, sword-like snout, but also the reality that ichthyosaurs have been called sea dragons for about 200 years."

Prehistoric Ocean Creatures

These creatures are categorized as marine reptiles, not dinosaurs, because they lived entirely in the water. This particular ichthyosaur is believed to have inhabited the oceans about 185 million years ago, a period from which extremely rare ichthyosaur fossils have been found.

"During this time ichthyosaurs are extremely uncommon, and Xiphodracon is the most complete individual ever discovered from there, contributing to close a gap," Dr Lomax stated. "It's a missing piece of the puzzle in ichthyosaur evolution."

Distinctive Features

The "sword dragon" is thought to have been about 3m in length and has several characteristics that have not been seen in other types of ichthyosaur.

• Researchers say the strangest feature is a fork-shaped bone near its nostril
• Its head has an exceptionally large eye socket
• An extended sword-like snout that it used to eat fish and squid

Existence and Demise

There are also clues as to how this specific individual lived and died.

"The limb bones and teeth are abnormally shaped in such a way that points to serious injury or disease while the creature was still alive," stated study contributor Dr Erin Maxwell.

"The skull appears to have been attacked by a large predator - likely another considerably bigger species of ichthyosaur - giving us a reason for demise for this individual. Existence in ancient seas was a dangerous prospect."

Finding and Study

The specimen was found in 2001 by fossil hunter Chris Moore and then obtained by the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada where it took more than 15 years to be fully analyzed.

"I don't mean to boast but I have found a number of them," Mr Moore said.

The precise count he's unearthed is somewhere in the region of 15, with multiple of them, including the "sword dragon", turning out to be new species.

Mr Moore says he is planning to celebrate the recent finding but has yet to decide exactly how the recognition will take.

"Champagne or a mug of tea, I'm undecided at this moment," he commented.

This remarkable discovery is among many ichthyosaur remains that have been found along Dorset's Jurassic Coast since the first discoveries of pioneering palaeontologist Mary Anning in the early 1800s.