A forgotten fossil reveals a fearsome dinosaur with giant claws
Researchers have identified a new species of carnivorous dinosaur, Invictibellatrix amberina, from a fossil fragment found on the Isle of Wight. The fossil had been overlooked in a museum collection for nearly a century before being recognized as a member of the megaraptoran group.
Why it matters
This discovery provides new insights into the evolutionary history of European predators and highlights the importance of re-examining museum archives for overlooked scientific data.
A dinosaur fossil that spent nearly a century overlooked in a museum collection has turned out to belong to an entirely new species of prehistoric predator. About the size of a large tiger and armed with enormous curved claws, the animal roamed what is now Britain approximately 120 million years ago.
The discovery was made by researchers led by University College London (UCL), who examined a fossil skull fragment originally found on the Isle of Wight. Their findings, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science , identify the dinosaur as Invictibellatrix amberina , the first known European member of a mysterious group of carnivorous dinosaurs called megaraptorans.
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