An intriguing fossilised ichthyosaur has
been excavated from the beach at Charmouth, near Lyme
Regis.
Although there have been numerous fossil marine
reptile specimens found over the years, this is only the
second to be found from the lower Pliensbachian stage
(195-190 million years ago) of the Jurassic period.
Dr Paul Davis of the Natural History Museum
discovered the fossil while leading a dig with the West
Sussex Geological Society. The half-skeleton was
excavated by a team from the Natural History Museum and
the Lyme Regis Museum and experts believe it could also
be a new species.
Paul Davis says, ‘I was walking along the shoreline
away from the rest of the group when I spotted a row of
vertebra on the flat rock ledges and I immediately
recognised it as part of the backbone of the
ichthyosaur. I was amazed to see it there, as I knew
that only one other ichthyosaur fossil had ever been
found in this rock layer. We had to wait until the low
tide returned before we could excavate the fossil so it
was a real thrill to finally see what is only the second
from this period to be found.’
Ichthyosaurs lived 220-65 million years ago and
looked like modern-day dolphins. They are marine
reptiles so their closest living relatives are snakes
and lizards. Fossil ichthyosaurs 220-195 million years
old are commonly found, particularly along the Jurassic
Coast (the Dorset and East Devon Coast UNESCO World
Heritage Site) and several ichthyosaurs that are around
185 million years old have been found on the North
Yorkshire coast.
The fossil is now at the Natural History Museum where
it will be cleaned by the world-class Palaeontology
Conservation Unit and studied by scientists from the
Museum and other institutions. It's also hoped the
specimen will go on display at the Museum's Fossil
Roadshow in Lyme Regis from 8 to 10 April 2005.
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