🔗 Share this article

A nearly complete fossilized frame discovered along Dorset's Jurassic Coast has been identified as a new species of ichthyosaur, a variety of ancient marine reptile that once ruled the oceans.

This marine creature ichthyosaur has been named Xiphodracon goldencapensis, or the "sword dragon of Dorset" and represents the only known specimen of its kind.

Researchers state that indentations on its cranium indicate the "sword dragon" may have been fatally wounded by a bite to the head, possibly inflicted by a significantly bigger species of ichthyosaur.

First discovered by a prolific fossil collector at Golden Cap in Dorset in 2001, the recently identified ichthyosaur was subsequently acquired by a institution in Canada.

Only in recent times been completely studied by experts and a paper published classifying it as a new species of ichthyosaur.

"I thought long and hard about the name," said ichthyosaur expert Dr Dean Lomax, who collaborated on the study classifying the fossil as a novel type.

"Xiphodracon translates to sword-like dragon and that is in reference to that extremely elongated, sword-like nose, but also the fact that ichthyosaurs have been called sea dragons for about 200 years."

Prehistoric Ocean Creatures

Ichthyosaurs are classified as marine reptiles, rather than dinosaurs, because they lived entirely in the water. This particular ichthyosaur is thought to have swum the seas about 185 million years ago, a period from which very few ichthyosaur fossils have been discovered.

"During this time ichthyosaurs are incredibly rare, and Xiphodracon is the best preserved individual ever discovered from there, helping to fill a gap," Dr Lomax said. "It's a missing piece of the puzzle in ichthyosaur development."

Distinctive Features

The "sword dragon" is thought to have been about 3m long and has several characteristics that have never been observed in other species of ichthyosaur.

• Researchers say the strangest feature is a fork-shaped bone near its nostril
• Its head has an enormous eye socket
• An extended sword-like snout that it used to eat fish and squid

Life and Death

There are also clues as to how this specific individual lived and died.

"Its fins and dental structure are malformed in such a way that points to serious injury or disease while the creature was still alive," stated study contributor Dr Erin Maxwell.

"The skull appears to have been attacked by a sizeable hunter - likely another considerably bigger species of ichthyosaur - giving us a cause of death for this individual. Existence in ancient seas was a risky situation."

Discovery and Analysis

This "sword dragon" was discovered in 2001 by paleontology enthusiast Chris Moore and then obtained by the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada where it took more than 15 years to be fully analyzed.

"I don't wish to blow my own ichthyosaur trumpet but I have found a few of them," Mr Moore said.

The actual number he's discovered is somewhere in the region of 15, with several of them, like the "sword dragon", proving to be new species.

Mr Moore says he is planning to celebrate the recent finding but has yet to decide exactly how the celebration will take.

"Champagne or a mug of tea, I'm undecided at this moment," he says.

The 'sword dragon' is one of numerous ichthyosaur remains that have been discovered along Dorset's Jurassic Coast dating back to the initial findings of trailblazing palaeontologist Mary Anning in the early 1800s.