Britain's Largest Sea Dragon Discovered In Reservoir
The fossilised remains of Britain’s largest ichthyosaur, also known as a ‘Sea Dragon,’ was discovered at Rutland Water Nature Reserve.
Credit: Anglian Water
Hailed as one of UK's greatest finds, it was the largest and most complete skeleton of its kind ever found in Britain
The remains were fully excavated in 2021 and was featured on BBC Two’s ‘Digging for Britain.’
The ichthyosaur, estimated to be around 180 million years old, has a skeleton stretching approximately 10 metres in length, with its skull alone weighing about a tonne.
Credit: Anglian Water
Ichthyosaurs first emerged roughly 250 million years ago and went extinct 90 million years ago.
These remarkable marine reptiles, ranging in size from 1 to over 25 metres long, had a general body shape resembling that of dolphins.
The delicate remains of this massive skeleton were carefully excavated in August and September 2021 by a team of expert palaeontologists from across the UK.
The project was a collaboration with Anglian Water, Rutland County Council, and the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.
The excavation was led by world-renowned ichthyosaur expert Dr. Dean Lomax, palaeontological conservator Nigel Larkin, marine reptile specialist Dr. Mark Evans, and Dr. Emma Nicholls from the Horniman Museum, along with experienced volunteers.
Credit: Anglian Water
Through meticulous work, an almost complete skeleton was unearthed.
At over ten metres long, this is the largest and most complete ichthyosaur skeleton ever found in the UK and is believed to be the first of its species discovered in the country.
This isn’t the first ichthyosaur discovery at the Anglian Water reservoir - two smaller, incomplete specimens were found during the initial construction of Rutland Water in the 1970s.
However, this is the first complete skeleton to be unearthed at the site.
In a press release, Dr Dean Lomax, a palaeontologist and a Visiting Scientist affiliated with the University of Manchester, who has studied thousands of ichthyosaurs and named five new species in the process, said: “It was an honour to lead the excavation.
”Britain is the birthplace of ichthyosaurs – their fossils have been unearthed here for over 200 years, with the first scientific dating back to Mary Anning and her discoveries along the Jurassic Coast.
Credit: Anglian Water
”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.”
Reacting to the posts on social media, someone said: “Imagine just realizing what you found… in a reservoir! Amazing beasts!”
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