New dinosaur species discovered in Welsh cliff
The fossilised skeleton of the dog-sized creature, a theropod dinosaur, is described as a cousin of the giant tyrannosaurus rex and is believed to be the earliest specimen of a Jurassic era dinosaur ever to walk the Earth.
Described as the “find of a life-time” it was discovered on Lavernock beach near Penarth in the Vale of Glamorgan by two fossil-hunting brothers, Nick and Rob Hanigan after storms in spring 2014.
A cliff fall on the beach, revealed several loose blocks containing part of the skeleton of the dinosaur, including razor-sharp teeth and claws.
It was analysed by experts from The University of Manchester, University of Portsmouth and the National Museum Wales who concluded it lived at the very earliest part of the Jurassic Period, 201 million years ago.
John Nudds, senior lecturer in palaeontology at The University of Manchester, said: “It is very rare to find this type of dinosaur at all and never before in Wales. In fact it is only the second dinosaur ever found in Wales. Theropods were vicious hunters who would prey on others. They were evolving rapidly at the start of the Jurassic period, but are only known from a few specimens worldwide.
“This is a very exciting finding that could tell us a lot about how these species were evolving,” he said.
It is thought that the fossil was from a juvenile animal as some of its bones are not yet fully formed. Research is still under way, with a scientific paper in progress which will reveal the name of this new species in the next few months.
The fossil will be donated to the National Museum Wales by the Hanigan brothers. David Martill, reader in palaeobiology at the University of Portsmouth, said: “The new dinosaur was brought to my attention last year and I went up to Lancashire to see the specimen.
“There, laid out on the table, was the most beautiful little theropod dinosaur ever found in Europe.
The Welsh dinosaur was a small, slim, agile dinosaur, probably only about 50cm tall, which had a long tail to help it balance. It lived at the time when south Wales was a coastal region, offering a warm climate.
