Scientists discover new species of extinct marine reptiles of Jurassic age

Scientists have discovered new species of extinct marine reptiles. The results have been achieved from the fossils collected over a hundred years ago. Reptiles were from the age of dinosaurs. The species identified as British Ichthyosaur were ocean dwelling reptiles.The species looked like dolphins or sharks. They were 15 metre long and were coarse predators.

British Ichthyosaur is from the Jurassic period, around 200 million years ago, when UK was series of islands. The University of Manchester conducted six-year study to search for British examples of Ichthyosaurs. The researchers managed to identify the features in the skulls and fins of fossilised remains, which shoed new species stand out from the others.

The skeletal remains which were of help to identify the new species were on display at the University of Bristol for many years. Dean Lomax, scientist at University of Manchester and Judy Massare, professor at Brockport College, from US, carried out the whole research.

City Museum donated the complete skeletal remains of the large Ichthyosaurus (Specimen ‘25300’) found in Walton, Somerset to the University of Bristol around 80 years ago. The museum purchased it in 1915 from the Chaning Pearce, which originally had it as its part and donated it to the university in 1930.