An artist’s impression of the dinosaur. Credit: John Sibbick
A new dinosaur speciesComptonatus chasei, discovered on the Isle of Wight, represents a major advance in understanding CretaceousThe diversity of era dinosaurs in England, with ongoing research suggesting more important finds.
A new paper describes the most complete dinosaur discovered in this country in the last century. The specimen, approximately 125 million years old and with a pubic thigh bone the size of a dinner plate, was found in 2013 on the rocks of Compton Bay on the Isle of Wight. The discovery was made by fossil collector Nick Chase before he tragically died of cancer.
Jeremy Lockwood, a retired GP and University of Portsmouth The PhD student helped excavate the dinosaur and has spent years analyzing the 149 different bones that make up the skeleton. Jeremy determined that the skeleton represented a new genus and species, which he named Comptonatus chasei in honor of Nick.
Jeremy said: “Nick had a phenomenal nose for finding dinosaur bones – he really was a modern day Mary Anning. He collected fossils every day in all weathers and donated them to museums. I had hoped that we would spend our dotage collecting together as we were of a similar age, but alas it was not to be. Despite his many wonderful discoveries over the years, including the most complete Iguanodon The skull ever found in Britain is the first dinosaur to be named after him.
Scientific insights and theories
When it was first discovered, the specimen was thought to be a well-known dinosaur named Mantellisaurus, but Jeremy’s study revealed much more dinosaur diversity. Indeed, this is the second new genus to be described by Jeremy.
He said: “I was able to show that this dinosaur is different because of some unique features in its skull, teeth and other parts of its body. For example, its lower jaw has a straight lower edge, whereas most iguanodonts have a jaw that curves downward. It also has a very large pubic thigh bone, which is much larger than other similar dinosaurs. It’s like a dinner plate!”
Jeremy Lockwood at the excavation site, Compton Bay, Isle of Wight. Credit: University of Portsmouth
Jeremy doesn’t know why the pubic femur, which sits at the base of the abdomen, was so large: “Maybe it was for muscle attachment, which could mean the way it moved was a little different, or it could had been supporting the contents of the stomach more effectively, or even involved in the way the animal breathed, but all these theories are somewhat speculative.
Jeremy called the dinosaur Comptonatus after Compton Bay where it was found and ‘tonatus’ is a Latin word meaning ‘thunder’.
“This animal would have been about one ton, about the size of a large American male bison. And evidence from fossil tracks found nearby indicates that it was likely a herbivore, so perhaps large herds of these heavy dinosaurs could have been roaring around if scared off by predators in the floodplains over 120 million years ago. years ago.
Research contributions and museum involvement
Dr Susannah Maidment, Senior Research Fellow and palaeontologist at the Natural History Museum and senior author of the paper completed while supervising Jeremy’s PhD commented:Comptonatus is a fantastic dinosaur specimen: one of the most complete to be found in the UK in a century.
“Its recognition as a new species is due to the very detailed work of NHM scientific associate Dr. Jeremy Lockwood, whose research continues to reveal that dinosaur diversity in southern England in the Early Cretaceous was much greater than previously understood.
“The specimen, which is younger than Brightstoneus but older than Mantellisaurus (the two Iguandontian dinosaurs closely related to Comptonatus) demonstrates rapid rates of evolution in Iguandontian dinosaurs during this time period and may help us understand how ecosystems recovered after a putative extinction event at the end of Jurassic Period.”
The ‘dinner plate’ hip bone. Credit: University of Portsmouth
Despite only four new species of dinosaur being described on the Isle of Wight throughout the 1900s, there have been eight new species named in the past five years.
Jeremy added: “This is a truly remarkable discovery. It helps us understand more about the different types of dinosaurs that lived in England in the Early Cretaceous. This adds to recent research showing that Wessex was one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world.”
The dinosaur has been added to the collections at the Dinosaur Isle Museum in Sandown on the Isle of Wight. The paper was recently published in Journal of Systematic Paleontology.
Dr Martin Munt, curator of Dinosaur Isle, said: “Ongoing research into the museum’s collection continues to reveal exciting new discoveries. Most of Nick’s most important finds have remained on the island, a lasting legacy. We can look forward to many more new species of prehistoric creatures being discovered from the island’s rocks and collection.”
Mike Greenslade, Director General for the National Trust on the Isle of Wight, said: “This extraordinary discovery at the National Trust’s Compton Bay highlights the Isle of Wight’s rich natural heritage. Finding the UK’s most complete dinosaur in a century not only shows the palaeontological importance of the island, but also underlines the importance of preserving our landscapes for future generations to explore and learn from. Nick Chase’s extraordinary find and Jeremy Lockwood’s dedicated research are a testament to the incredible story waiting to be revealed here. We are excited to be a part of this ongoing journey of discovery and scientific advancement.”
Reference: “Comptonatus chasei, a new iguanodontian dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight, southern England” by Jeremy AF Lockwood, David M. Martill and Susannah CR Maidment, 9 July 2024, Journal of Systematic Paleontology.
DOI: 10.1080/14772019.2024.2346573