New Species of Dinosaur Discovered.

4 bones recently found on the Isle of Wight belong to new species of theropod dinosaur, the group that includes Tyrannosaurus rex and modern-day birds. A new study suggested by Palaeontologists at the University of Southampton.

The dinosaur lived in the Cretaceous period 115 million years ago and is estimated to have been up to four metres long.

Last year the bones were discovered on the forshore ar shanklin, the bones are from Neck, Back and Tail of a new dinosaur which is named as
Vectaerovenator inopinatus.

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The fossils were found over a period of weeks in 2019 in three separate discoveries, two by individuals and one by a family group, who all handed in their finds to the nearby Dinosaur Isle Museum at Sandown.

The scientific study has confirmed that the fossils are very likely to be from the same individual dinosaur, with the exact location and timing of the finds adding to this belief.

Chris Barker, a Ph.D. student at the university who led the study, said: “We were struck by just how hollow this animal was—it’s riddled with air spaces. Parts of its skeleton must have been rather delicate.

“The record of theropod dinosaurs from the ‘mid’ Cretaceous period in Europe isn’t that great, so it’s been really exciting to be able to increase our understanding of the diversity of dinosaur species from this time.

“You don’t usually find dinosaurs in the deposits at Shanklin as they were laid down in a marine habitat. You’re much more likely to find fossil oysters or drift wood, so this is a rare find indeed.”

Chris Barker added: “Although we have enough material to be able to determine the general type of dinosaur, we’d ideally like to find more to refine our analysis. We are very grateful for the donation of these fossils to science and for the important role that citizen science can play in palaeontology.”