Comptonatus Chasei, named after Compton Bay and the fossil hunter who made the discovery, Nick Chase, is perhaps the most complete dinosaur specimen discovered in the UK for more than a century.
The animal belongs to the group of herbivores known as iguanodontians - often referred to as the 'cows of the cretaceous' by paleontologists. Living around 150 million years ago, these bulky and slow-moving creatures were hunted by carnivorous raptors.
This discovery, whose study has been published in the Journal of Systematic Paleontology, includes an almost complete fossil - including the skull, teeth, spine and leg bones. Paleontologists from the Natural History Museum and University of Portsmouth are excited by the findings.
Large herds of these heavy dinosaurs may have been thundering around if spooked by predators on the floodplains over 120 million years ago
— Jenny Lockwood, University of Portsmouth
Why not book an expertly guided fossil finding tour of Compton Bay on your next Isle of Wight visit? Packages are suitable for all ages, and we work with a selection of local guides.
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