Two new species of large predatory dinosaur discovered on Isle of Wight, UK

A bit larger time jump than we usually encounter in these stories, but interesting!

The discovery of spinosaurid dinosaurs on the Isle of Wight was a long time coming. “We’ve known for a couple of decades now that Baryonyx-like dinosaurs awaited discovered on the Isle of Wight, but finding the remains of two such animals in close succession was a huge surprise” remarked co-author Darren Naish, expert in British theropod dinosaurs. . . . Although the skeletons are incomplete, the researchers estimate that both Ceratosuchops and Riparovenator measured around nine metres in length, snapping up prey with their metre-long skulls. The study also suggested how spinosaurids might have first evolved in Europe, before dispersing into Asia, Africa and South America.

Dr Neil J. Gostling of the University of Southampton, who supervised the project, said: “This work has brought together universities, Dinosaur Isle museum and the public to reveal these amazing dinosaurs and the incredibly diverse ecology of the south coast of England 125 million years ago.”