180 million year old sea dragon fossil discovered in the U.K

By: Larissa Chalouhi, Staff Reporter, The Pawprint

This fossil was discovered at Rutland Water which is in the East Midlands of England. It has been ‘hailed as one of the greatest finds in British paleontological history.’ 

This discovery was kept a secret until they preserved the fossil due to threats of people wanting to buy it which would mean that no scientific discoveries on this finding would be made. 

The ichthyosaur, which is the scientific name of the sea dragon, was at the top of the food chain in the seas of the Jurassic period. 

The two largest parts of this fossil was the head and the body which weighed about a tonne-and a tonne and a half which would equal to about 1 car (2,871 pounds). 

The skeleton was recorded in multiple ways like 3D scans because the position that the bones were in was crucial evidence. 

In order to protect the bones and the structure of this 10 meter long fossil, it was decided to lift it in large sections which would be protected with layers of plaster.