A dinosaur fossil that remained unidentified for almost a century has been recognised as a new species, Invictibellatrix amberina. This meat-eating dinosaur lived in what is now Britain around 120 million years ago. The fossil, which is part of a skull, was found on the Isle of Wight by amateur fossil hunter Reginald Walter Tooley. The Natural History Museum acquired it in 1924.
Researchers led by University College London used CT scans, which produce detailed images of internal structures, to create a three-dimensional model. By comparing the fragment with other dinosaur fossils, they identified it as the first confirmed European member of the megaraptoran group. These dinosaurs had powerful arms and large, curved claws.
The animal probably measured three to four metres long and around 1.5 metres tall. It may have had feathers and would have eaten small dinosaurs, lizards and mammals. Published in Royal Society Open Science, the findings show how examining old museum collections can lead to discoveries, even when fossils have been stored for decades.
