🔗 Share this article

A nearly complete skeleton found along Dorset's Jurassic Coast has been classified as a new species of ichthyosaur, a type of ancient marine reptile that once ruled the oceans.

This marine creature ichthyosaur has been named Xiphodracon goldencapensis, or the "blade serpent of Dorset" and stands as the only known example of its kind.

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

Initially found by a prolific fossil collector at Golden Cap in Dorset in 2001, the recently identified ichthyosaur was subsequently acquired by a museum in Canada.

It has only recently been fully analyzed by specialists and a research document released classifying it as a previously unknown type of ichthyosaur.

"I thought long and hard about the name," said ichthyosaur specialist Dr Dean Lomax, who collaborated on the study identifying the fossil as a new species.

"Xiphodracon translates to sword-like dragon and that is in reference to that very long, sword-like nose, but also the reality that ichthyosaurs have been referred to as sea dragons for about 200 years."

Prehistoric Ocean Creatures

These creatures are categorized as marine reptiles, rather than dinosaurs, because they lived entirely in the water. The discovered ichthyosaur is believed to have swum the seas about 185 million years ago, a period from which extremely rare ichthyosaur remains have been found.

"During this time ichthyosaurs are incredibly rare, and Xiphodracon is the best preserved individual ever found from there, contributing to close a gap," Dr Lomax said. "This represents a crucial element of the mystery in ichthyosaur evolution."

Distinctive Features

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

• Researchers say the most unusual feature is a prong-like bone near its nose opening
• Its head has an enormous eye socket
• A long sword-like nose that it used to consume fish and squid

Life and Death

Evidence also exists as to how this specific individual lived and died.

"Its fins and dental structure are malformed in such a way that indicates significant trauma or illness while the creature was still living," said study co-author Dr Erin Maxwell.

"Its head seems to have been bitten by a large predator - likely another much larger species of ichthyosaur - providing a cause of death for this individual. Life in the Mesozoic oceans was a dangerous prospect."

Discovery and Analysis

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

"I don't wish to blow my own ichthyosaur trumpet but I have discovered a number of them," Mr Moore said.

The actual number he's discovered is somewhere in the region of 15, with several of them, like the "sword dragon", turning out to be previously unknown types.

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

"Champagne or a mug of tea, I'm not sure which yet," he commented.

The 'sword dragon' is one of numerous ichthyosaur remains that have been found along Dorset's Jurassic Coast since the initial findings of trailblazing palaeontologist Mary Anning in the early 1800s.