Tag: Prehistoric marine reptiles
-
Xiphodracon goldencapensis: Dorset’s Sword Dragon Ichthyosaur
New Star on the Jurassic Coast: A Sword Dragon Emerges In the fossil-rich cliffs of Dorset, along the famed Jurassic Coast, scientists have identified a new species of ichthyosaur—the sword dragon Xiphodracon goldencapensis. This near-complete skeleton, discovered in 2001 and finally analyzed in depth by a team of paleontologists, represents the most complete specimen from…
-
New Sword-Headed Ichthyosaur Unearthed on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast: Xiphodracon goldencapensis
Discovery and designation of a unique species A near-complete skeleton recovered from Dorset’s famed Jurassic Coast has been identified as a new species of ichthyosaur, a marine reptile that dominated the oceans long before dinosaurs walked the land. The fossil, about the size of a dolphin and remarkably well preserved, has been named Xiphodracon goldencapensis…