Fossil collector discovers most complete dinosaur in UK since 1923

Artist’s impression of a dinosaur. Image credit: John Sibbeck

New dinosaur ClassComptonatus chasei, discovered on the Isle of Wight, represents a major advance in our understanding of Cretaceous period– Dinosaur diversity in England, with ongoing research suggesting more significant results are likely.

A new study examines the most complete dinosaur discovered in this country in the past century. The specimen, which is around 125 million years old and features a pubic femur the size of a dinner plate, was found in 2013 in the cliffs of Compton Bay on the Isle of Wight. The find was made by fossil collector Nick Chase before he tragically died of cancer.

Jeremy Lockwood, Retired GP and University of Portsmouth A PhD student, he helped with the dinosaur excavations and spent years analyzing the 149 different bones that made up the skeleton. Jeremy determined that the skeleton represented a new genus and species, which he named Comptonatos Chessy In honor of Nick.

Jeremy said: “Nick had a tremendous nose for finding dinosaur bones – he was truly a modern-day Mary Anning. He collected fossils every day in all weathers and donated them to museums. I had hoped that we would spend our old age collecting them together as we were of similar ages, but sadly that was not the case. Despite his many wonderful discoveries over the years, including his most complete, it was wonderful to meet up again. Iguanodon “It is the first skull ever found in Britain, and the first dinosaur to be named after it.”

Scientific visions and theories

When it was first discovered, the specimen was thought to be a well-known dinosaur called MantellisaurusBut Jeremy’s study revealed a much greater diversity of dinosaurs. In fact, this is the second new genus Jeremy has described.

“I was able to show that this dinosaur is different because of some unique features in its skull, teeth and other parts of its body,” he said. “For example, its lower jaw has a straight lower edge, whereas most iguanodontians have a downward-curving jaw. It also has a very large pubic hip bone, much larger than other similar dinosaurs. It’s like a dinner plate!”

Jeremy Lockwood at the excavation site, Compton Bay, Isle of Wight. Image credit: University of Portsmouth

Jeremy doesn’t know why the pubis, which is located at the base of the abdomen, was so large: “It might have been for muscle attachments, which would mean the way it moved was a little different, or it might have been to support the stomach contents more effectively, or it might have been involved in how the animal breathed, but all of these theories are somewhat speculative.”

Jeremy named the dinosaur Comptonatus After Compton Bay where it was found, “tonatus” is a Latin word meaning “thunder”.

“This animal weighed about a ton, about the size of a large male American bison. Evidence from fossil footprints found nearby suggests that it was likely a grazing animal, so it’s possible that large herds of these heavy dinosaurs roamed the area if they were scared off by predators on the floodplains more than 120 million years ago.”

Research contributions and integration into museums

Dr Susanna Maidment, lead researcher and palaeontologist at the Natural History Museum and lead author of the paper, which was completed while supervising Jeremy’s PhD, commented:Comptonatus It is a remarkable dinosaur specimen: one of the most complete to be found in the UK in a century.

“Its recognition as a new species is due to the incredibly detailed work of Dr Jeremy Lockwood, a scientific fellow at the National Museum of Natural History, whose research continues to reveal that the diversity of dinosaurs in southern England in the Early Cretaceous was much greater than previously thought.

“The sample that is smaller than Brightstone But older than Mantellisaurus (Two closely related iguanodont dinosaurs) Comptonatus) illustrates rapid rates of evolution in iguanodontist dinosaurs during this time period, and could help us understand how ecosystems recovered after the hypothesized extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous. Jurassic a period.”

Hip bone ‘dinner plate’. Image: University of Portsmouth

Although only four new species of dinosaurs were described on the Isle of Wight in the entire 20th century, eight new species have been named in the past five years.

“This is a really exciting discovery,” Jeremy added. “It helps us understand more about the different types of dinosaurs that lived in England in the Early Cretaceous. It adds to recent research showing that Wessex was one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world.”

The dinosaur has been added to the collections of the Dinosaur Island Museum in Sandown on the Isle of Wight. The research paper was recently published in Journal of Systematic Paleontology.

“Ongoing research into the museum’s collection continues to reveal exciting new discoveries,” said Dr Martin Munt, curator of Dinosaur Island. “Most of Nick’s most important discoveries have remained on the island, a lasting legacy. We can look forward to discovering many more new species of prehistoric creatures from the island’s cliffs and collection.”

Mike Greenslade, General Manager of the National Trust’s Isle of Wight Heritage, said: “This extraordinary discovery at the National Trust’s Compton Bay highlights the rich natural heritage of the Isle of Wight. Finding the most complete dinosaur in the UK in a century not only demonstrates the paleontological significance of the island, but also underscores the importance of preserving our landscapes for future generations to explore and learn from. Nick Chase’s remarkable discovery and Jeremy Lockwood’s tireless research are testament to the incredible history waiting to be uncovered here. We are thrilled to be part of this continuing journey of scientific discovery and progress.”

Reference: “Comptonatus chasei, a new iguanodont dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Wessex Formation on the Isle of Wight, southern England” by Jeremy A. F. Lockwood, David M. Martill, and Susannah C. R. Maidment, 9 July 2024, Journal of Systematic Paleontology.
DOI: 10.1080/14772019.2024.2346573