Summary (tl;dr)

A new species of colossal marine reptile, Ichthyotitan severnensis, has been identified from fossilized jawbones found in southwest England, revealing a creature estimated to be around 25 meters long and dating back over 200 million years.

Essential Background

The initial fragment of a giant ichthyosaur jawbone was discovered in May 2016 by fossil collector Paul de la Salle in Lilstock, Somerset, UK. This significant find was described by paleontologists in 2018, hinting at an unusually large marine reptile, though its exact species remained undetermined due to the incomplete nature of the fossil.

The Full Story

In May 2020, 11-year-old Ruby Reynolds and her father, Justin, made a pivotal discovery of additional, more complete jawbone fragments on a beach at Blue Anchor, Somerset, located approximately 10 kilometers from the original find. These new fossils, combined with the 2016 specimen, enabled an international team of paleontologists, including Dr. Dean Lomax from the University of Bristol and the University of Manchester, to confirm and formally describe a previously unknown species. Named Ichthyotitan severnensis, meaning "giant fish lizard of the Severn," this marine reptile is estimated to have reached an astounding length of about 25 meters (82 feet), comparable in size to a modern blue whale. The findings were published in April 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, indicating that these creatures roamed the seas during the Late Triassic period, approximately 202 million years ago.

Why It Matters

The discovery of Ichthyotitan severnensis is significant because it provides compelling evidence that gigantic ichthyosaurs not only existed but thrived in the oceans just prior to a major mass extinction event at the end of the Triassic period. This challenges previous assumptions about the timing of these apex predators reaching such immense sizes, as later ichthyosaur species never again attained these gargantuan proportions. The find also underscores the vital role that amateur fossil hunters play in contributing to major scientific breakthroughs. Researchers express hope that continued expeditions along the coast may yield a complete skull or skeleton, which would offer invaluable insights into the animal's precise dimensions, hunting behaviors, and evolutionary lineage. The newly described fossils are scheduled for public display at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery.

Geographic Location

• Lilstock, Somerset, England, United Kingdom (location of the 2016 jawbone fragment discovery)
• Blue Anchor, Somerset, England, United Kingdom (location of the 2020 jawbone fragments discovery)
• Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol, England, United Kingdom (future display location of the fossils)