Giant 32ft ‘sea dragon’ found in Midlands hailed one of best fossil finds in UK history

Fossil is largest and most complete of its kind ever found in UK

Scientists have hailed the discovery of a 32ft fossilised “sea dragon” in a Midlands reservoir as one of the “greatest finds” in British palaeontological history.

The ichthyosaur, approximately 180 million years old, is the largest and most complete fossil of its kind ever found in the UK. It has a skeleton around 10 metres in length and a skull weighing approximately one tonne.

It was discovered by Joe Davis of Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust during a routine draining of a lagoon island at Rutland Water in February 2021.

The first ichthyosaurs, which are called sea dragons because they tend to have very large teeth and eyes, were discovered by fossil hunter and palaeontologist Mary Anning in the early 19th century.

“Despite the many ichthyosaur fossils found in Britain, it is remarkable to think that the Rutland ichthyosaur is the largest skeleton ever found in the UK,” Dr Dean Lomax, a palaeontologist who has studied the species, said.

“It is a truly unprecedented discovery and one of the greatest finds in British palaeontological history,” he added.

The ichthyosaur is approximately 180 million years old with a skeleton measuring around 10 metres in length (PA)

Ichthyosaurs, which were marine reptiles, first appeared around 250 million years ago and went extinct 90 million years ago. They varied in size from one to more than 25 metres in length and resembled dolphins in general body shape.

The remains were dug out by a team of expert palaeontologists from around the UK in August and September.

Two incomplete and much smaller ichthyosaurs were found during the initial construction of Rutland Water in the 1970s. However, the latest discovery is the first complete skeleton.

An artist impression of an ichthyosaur (PA)

Dr Mark Evans of the British Antarctic Survey said: “I’ve been studying the Jurassic fossil reptiles of Rutland and Leicestershire for over 20 years.

“When I first saw the initial exposure of the specimen with Joe Davis I could tell that it was the largest ichthyosaur known from either county.

“However, it was only after our exploratory dig that we realised that it was practically complete to the tip of the tail.”

The remains were dug out by a team of expert palaeontologists (PA)

He added: “It’s a highly significant discovery both nationally and internationally but also of huge importance to the people of Rutland and the surrounding area.”

Nigel Larkin, a specialist palaeontological conservator, added: “It’s not often you are responsible for safely lifting a very important but very fragile fossil weighing that much.

“It is a responsibility, but I love a challenge. It was a very complex operation to uncover, record, and collect this important specimen safely.”

The excavation of the remains will feature on BBC Two’s Digging For Britain on Tuesday at 8pm.