The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Scientists look at prehistoric giant’ s bones
The remains of Europe’s largest ever land-based hunter have been found on the Isle of Wight. Several bones belonging to the 10-metre-long spinosaurid have been analysed by scientists from Southampton University.
The spinosaurid would have lived at the beginning of a period of rising sea levels and would have stalked lagoonal waters and sandflats in search of food.
PHD student Chris Barker said: “Judging from some of the dimensions, it appears to represent one of the largest predatory dinosaur found in Europe.”
The bones of the White Rock spinosaurid, named for the geological layer in which the remains were found, include pelvic and tail vertebrae.
They were found by Nick Chase, who has since died, near Compton Chine, and are now on display in the Dinosaur Isle Museum in Sandown.
Dr Neil Gostling, co-author of the study published in the journal Peerj, said: “It’s likely to be the youngest spinosaur material yet known from the UK.”
Co-author Darren Naish said: “This new animal bolsters our previous argument that spinosaurid dinosaurs originated and diversified in western Europe before becoming more widespread.
“We hope that additional remains will turn up in time.”
The scientists suggest marks on the bone, including little tunnels bored into a lump of pelvis, show the body of the giant dinosaur would have been picked over by scavengers after it died.
Co-author Jeremy Lockwood, a PHD student at Portsmouth University and the Natural History Museum, said: “It’s an interesting thought that this giant killer wound up becoming a meal for a host of insects.”