Researchers excited to discover ichthyosaurs in UK

A 180 million-year-old fossil of an ichthyosaur was discovered while emptying a reservoir in Great Britain. According to researchers, it is the largest and most complete of its kind.

Its length is ten meters and the skull alone weighs a ton – these are the dimensions of the fossil of an ichthyosaur that British researchers found in a tank in the East Midlands. It is the largest and most complete fossil of its kind ever discovered in Great Britain, the British PA news agency reported on Monday.

The ichthyosaur was discovered when part of Rutland’s water tank was routinely emptied, so its age is about 180 million years. “It’s a very important find, both nationally and internationally, but also of paramount importance to the people of Rutland and the surrounding area,” said Mark Evans of the British Antarctic Survey.

Fossils of ichthyosaurs, marine reptiles, were discovered in England by pioneer paleontologist Mary Anning on the Dorset coast in the early 19th century.