New dinosaur related to T. rex discovered on Isle of Wight

A new dinosaur species has been discovered on the Isle of Wight.

Paleontologists at the University of Southampton believe that four bones found at Shanklin last year belong to a new species of theropod dinosaur.

It lived in the Cretaceous, 115 million years ago, and is estimated to have been up to 4m (13ft) long.

It is named Vectaerovenator inopinatus and belongs to the group of dinosaurs which includes Tyrannosaurus rex and modern birds.

The name refers to the large air spaces found in some of the bones – of the creature’s neck, back and tail – which is one of the traits that helped scientists identify the origin of theropod. .

These air sacs, also seen in modern birds, were extensions of the lung, and it is likely that they “helped to burn an efficient respiratory system while also making the skeleton lighter,” said the University of Southampton.

The fossils were found in 2019 in three separate discoveries and donated to the nearby Dinosaur Isle Museum in Sandown, where they are displayed.

Robin Ward, an ordinary fossil hunter from Stratford-upon-Avon, was visiting the Isle of Wight with his family when they made their discovery.

“The fun of finding the bones we discovered was absolutely fantastic,” he said.

James Lockyer, from Spalding, Lincolnshire, was also visiting the island when he found another of the bones.

“It looked different than marine reptile vertebrae I’ve encountered in the past,” he said.

“I was looking for a place near Shanklin and was told, and read, that I would not find much there.

“However, I always make sure I search the areas that others do not, and on this occasion it has paid off.”

Paul Farrell, of Ryde, added: “I walked along the beach, pelted stones and came across what looked like a bone of a dinosaur.

“I was really shocked to find out it could be a new species.”

‘Delicate skeleton’

Chris Barker, who led the University of Southampton study, said: “We were struck by just how hollow this animal was – it’s challenging with airspace.

“Parts of the skeleton must have been quite delicate.

“The record of theropod dinosaurs from the‘ mids ’Cretaceous in Europe is not that great, so it has been really exciting to increase our understanding of the variety of dinosaur species from this time.

“You would not normally find dinosaurs in the deposits at Shanklin because they were laid out in a marine habitat. You are much more likely to find fossil oysters or driftwood, so this is a rare find.”

It is likely that the Vectaerovenator lived in an area just north of where his remains were found, with the carcass washed in the shallow sea nearby.

The university’s findings are published in the journal Papers in Palaeontology and co-authored by those who discovered the fossils.