Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 12:53pm on 10 Oct 2025,Friday Science
A near-complete 185-million-year-old fossil discovered on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast has been identified as a new ichthyosaur species, Xiphodracon goldencapensis — meaning “sword dragon of Dorset.” Measuring about 3 meters, the marine reptile had a long sword-like snout and enormous eye sockets. Ichthyosaur experts Dr. Dean Lomax and Prof. Judy Massare confirmed the find, calling it a missing link in ichthyosaur evolution. Fossil hunter Chris Moore discovered it at Golden Cap in 2001. Scientists say marks on the skull suggest the creature was killed by a larger ichthyosaur. The specimen is housed at the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada. (PC: BBC)
