Fossil found on UK coast is unique ‘sword dragon’ species

A nearly complete skeleton found on Dorset's Jurassic coast has been identified as a new species of ichthyosaur, a type of prehistoric marine reptile that once ruled the oceans.

The dolphin-sized ichthyosaur was named Xiphodracon goldcapensis, or “Dorset sword dragon”, and is the only known example of its species.

Scientists say marks on its skull suggest the “sword dragon” may have been killed by a bite to the head, possibly inflicted by a much larger species of ichthyosaur.

The new ichthyosaur, first discovered in 2001 by an avid fossil hunter at the Golden Cape in Dorset, was then acquired by a museum in Canada.

Only recently has it been fully analyzed by experts and a paper published identifying it as a new species of ichthyosaur.

“I thought long and hard about the name,” said ichthyosaur expert Dr. Dean Lomax, who co-authored the paper identifying the skeleton as a new species.

“Xiphodracon translates to sword-like dragon, and this is due to the very long sword-like snout, as well as the fact that ichthyosaurs have been called sea dragons for about 200 years.”

Ichthyosaurs are classified as marine reptiles rather than dinosaurs, and spend their lives in the water.

This particular ichthyosaur is believed to have swum the seas around 185 million years ago, a period when very few ichthyosaur fossils have been found.

“Ichthyosaurs are incredibly rare at this time and Xiphodragon is the most complete specimen ever found there, which helps fill this gap,” Dr Lomax said. “This is the missing piece of the puzzle in ichthyosaur evolution.”

It is believed that the “dragon sword” was about 3 meters long and had some features that were not observed in other species of ichthyosaurs. Scientists say the strangest feature is the serrated bone near the nostril. The skull has a huge eye socket and a long, sword-like snout, which it used to feed on fish and squid.

There are also clues as to how this particular specimen lived and died.

“The limb bones and teeth are deformed in a way that indicates serious injury or illness while the animal was still alive,” said study co-author Dr. Erin Maxwell of the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart.

“The skull appears to have been bitten by a large predator—probably another, much larger species of ichthyosaur—which gives us the cause of death for this individual. Life in the Mesozoic oceans was a dangerous prospect.”

The Dragon Sword is one of numerous ichthyosaur fossils that have been found along Dorset's Jurassic Coast since the first discoveries by pioneering palaeontologist Mary Anning in the early 1800s.

This “dragon sword” was discovered in 2001 by fossil hunter Chris Moore and later acquired by the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada, where it took more than 15 years to fully analyze it.

“I don't want to blow my trumpet about ichthyosaurs, but I've found a few of them,” Mr Moore said during a video call from Dorset.

The actual number he found was somewhere around 15, with some of them, such as the “sword dragon”, turning out to be new species.

Mr. Moore says he plans to celebrate the new opening, but has not yet decided how.

“Champagne or a mug of tea, I’m not sure which yet,” he says.

Get our top newsletter with all the headlines you need to start your day. Register here.