UK scientists discover 180 million-year-old ‘sea dragon’ fossil

London: The remains of a monstrous, 33-foot-long (10 meters) ‘sea dragon’ have been unearthed on a nature reserve in England. The fossil is of a marine reptile that swam in the seas when dinosaurs were alive some 180 million years ago.

Started as routine maintenance on a Britain reservoir, the discovery quickly shifted to a major paleontological dig when workers revealed a giant, 180 million-year-old ichthyosaur fossil at the bottom of a lake. 

As per a press release from the Rutland Water Nature Reserve, the find happened last February during routine draining of a lagoon island that was set for re-landscaping.  

The fossil, colloquially known as “Sea Dragon”, is approximately 10 metres long and its skull weighs about one ton, making it the largest and most complete skeleton of its kind ever discovered in the UK.

The specimen also thought to be the first ichthyosaur of its specific species (Temnodontosaurus trigonodon).

Ichthyosaurs first appeared around 250 million years ago and the species went extinct 90 million years ago.

The marine animals range anywhere from one to 25 metres in length and resembled dolphins in general body shape.

The fossil is currently being treated by a specialist paleontological conservator, a process that will take 12-18 months. 

They beast were dubbed sea dragons due to their very large teeth and eyes. Their shape resembles that of a dolphin.

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