Nessie’s long-lost cousin... the Jurassic species who lived on the Isle of Skye
NeSSie i s not the first monster to grace Scottish waters – after it emerged that a long-lost relative may have been discovered.
A new species of ichthyosaur, a large dolphin-like marine reptile that grew up to 14ft long, has been identified from fossilised remains.
This monster lived 170million years ago, not in Loch Ness, but in a warm shallow sea around what is now Skye.
A team of palaeontologists studied fragments of skulls, teeth, vertebrae and an upper limb bone discovered on the island over the past 50 years.
Several of the fossils came from ichthyosaurs, including one previ- ously unknown species, named Dearcmhara shawcrossi.
Dearcmhara, pronounced ‘jarkvara’, is the Gaelic name for marine lizard.
The name shawcrossi was chosen in honour of amateur fossil hunter Brian Shawcross, who found the creature’s remains at Skye’s Bearreraig Bay in 1959.
Throughout the Jurassic Period, much of Skye was under water. At the time, it was joined to the rest of the UK and part of a large island positioned between landmasses that drifted apart to become europe and North America.
Lead r esearcher Dr Steve Brusatte, from the University of edinburgh’s School of Geo- sciences, said: ‘During the time of dinosaurs, the waters of Scotland were prowled by big reptiles the size of motor boats.
‘Their fossils are very rare and only now, for the first time, we’ve found a new species that was uniquely Scottish.
‘Without the generosity of the collector who donated the bones to a museum instead of keeping them or selling them, we would have never known that this amazing animal existed.
‘We are honoured to name the new species after Mr Shawcross and will do the same if any other collectors wish to donate new specimens.’
A description of the creature appears in the Scottish Journal of Geology.
Skye is one of the few places in the world where fossils from the Middle Jurassic Period can be found and scientists believe discoveries there could give insights into how marine reptiles evolved.
The work was carried out by the University of edinburgh, National Museums Scotland, the University of Glasgow’s Hunterian Museum, Scottish Natural Heritage and Staffin Museum, isle of Skye.
Members of the research team, known as PalAlba, will be exhibiting the ichthyosaur’s bones at a one- day f ossil event at Our Dynamic earth in edinburgh on January 18.
‘Reptiles the size of motor boats’