Isle of Wight fossil reveals new dinosaur species

Researchers from University College London have identified a new species of dinosaur, Invictibellatrix amberina, from a fossil that had been overlooked in the Natural History Museum for nearly a century. The specimen, a partial skull, was originally discovered on the Isle of Wight in 1924 by amateur paleontologist Reginald Walter Tooley.

Invictibellatrix amberina is a member of the megaraptoran group, a lineage of agile, bipedal carnivores characterized by large, curved hand claws. This discovery marks the first evidence of megaraptorans in Europe, providing new insights into how the group migrated from Asia to other regions like Gondwana.

Estimated to be between three and four meters long and roughly 1.5 meters tall, the dinosaur likely possessed feathers and hunted small dinosaurs, lizards, and mammals. Lead author Dr. Cassius Morrison noted that while it was not an apex predator, its size and agility would have made it a formidable hunter of smaller prey.