On the beach of Dorset (south-west of England) found a two-meter fossil of a prehistoric "sea dragon". Research has shown that he belonged to the ichthyosaur genus, reports The Independent.
The fossil was dipped headlong into limestone sediments. Probably, after death, the front part of the "dragon" body went into soft sediment on the seabed. This material allowed the remains to be well preserved, up to the imprints of soft tissues.
Ichthyosaurs are called "sea dragons" for their very large teeth. Their remains are quite rare - for example, this individual became only the fifth in the UK.
Research has shown that the "dragon" lived 150 million years ago and looked like a hybrid of a shark and a dolphin, with a fin on its back and a specific tail shape. He hunted squid, diving for them to great depths.
Its mouth was filled with about two hundred teeth. The creature also had strong ligaments in its neck, back, and ribs, which may have attached to bony nodes on its head.
The reptile, named Thalassodraco etchesi, had large eyes and a wide chest. This indicates a significant lung capacity and the ability to see in very dim light under water. From time to time it floated to the surface like modern cetaceans.
Scientists have noticed that the "dragon" is much smaller than its congeners - only 2.5 meters. They came to the conclusion that this is a new species for science.
Earlier it was reported that in China they found the remains of an ichthyosaur that swallowed another marine life. Its age was estimated at 240 million years.
