Braunton, Devon – Ruby Reynolds, an 11-year-old girl, and her dad, Justin, made a remarkable discovery on a sunny day in May 2020 while fossil-hunting at Blue Anchor Beach in Somerset, England. The duo stumbled upon a fragment of a colossal sea creature during their outdoor adventure.
Upon further investigation, a team of paleontologists, along with Justin and Ruby, identified the fossil as belonging to a new species of giant ichthyosaur, a marine reptile resembling a modern-day dolphin from the Late Triassic period. Their findings were published in the journal PLOS One.
The recovered pieces of the lower jawbone suggest that the entire creature could have exceeded 80 feet in length, potentially making it one of the largest marine reptiles ever found. Justin, a local postal worker, initially sought the expertise of paleontologist Dean Lomax from the University of Manchester after researching the fossils at home.
Collaborating with Lomax and his team, Justin and Ruby were able to uncover more parts of the fossil, revealing a six-foot-long lower jawbone section. This unique find added to a similar discovery made by Lomax in Lilstock, Somerset in 2018, shedding light on a critical time period in ichthyosaur evolution.
Despite the fragmentary nature of the specimen, researchers confidently identified the new species as Ichthyotitan severnensis, highlighting the scarce availability of well-preserved ichthyosaur fossils from this era. Through comparative analysis with other giant ichthyosaurs, scientists aimed to determine the size and significance of the newly discovered specimen.
The evolution of large marine reptiles such as ichthyosaurs has long intrigued paleontologists, offering valuable insights into prehistoric ecosystems. The discovery of Ichthyotitan severnensis provides a unique data point in understanding the fate of giant marine reptiles during a mass extinction event at the end of the Triassic period.
While the exact size ranking of Ichthyotitan severnensis remains uncertain, the findings underscore the importance of continued fossil research in the region. Ruby, now 15 years old, expressed her desire to uncover more fragments from the same fossil, reflecting the passion and curiosity that drive fossil-hunters in their quest for prehistoric treasures.