A dinosaur fossil that sat in a museum collection for nearly a century has been identified as a new species of meat-eating dinosaur, offering fresh insight into the prehistoric creatures that once roamed Europe.
Photo: Unsplash
As reported by BBC News, the fossil belongs to Invictibellatrix amberina, a long-clawed predator that lived around 120 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period. Researchers believe it was between three and four metres long, with large, curved claws that would have helped it catch its prey.
A prehistoric predator hiding in plain sight
The fossil was discovered more than 100 years ago on the Isle of Wight, off England’s southern coast, by amateur palaeontologist Reginald Walter Tooley. It was later acquired by the Natural History Museum in London in 1924, where it remained largely overlooked until researchers took a closer look.
The discovery is particularly significant because Invictibellatrix amberina belongs to a group of dinosaurs called megaraptorans. These agile, two-legged carnivores were related to tyrannosaurs, including Tyrannosaurus rex, but are thought to have relied more heavily on their powerful arms and oversized claws than on their jaws when attacking prey.
Researchers used CT scanning to examine the fossil, which consists of part of the back of the dinosaur’s skull. They then created a three-dimensional model and compared it with the skulls and brain cases of other meat-eating dinosaurs to help identify the species.
The dinosaur’s name translates roughly as ‘unconquered female warrior’. Although it was a formidable predator, it was relatively small compared with some of its better-known relatives. Scientists estimate that it stood just over 1.5 metres tall and may have had claws measuring between 10cm and 20cm long.
It is also thought to have had feathers and to have preyed on smaller dinosaurs, lizards and mammals, occupying a role in its ecosystem similar to that of a modern-day hyena.
Why the discovery matters
Megaraptorans remain among the more mysterious groups of large carnivorous dinosaurs because relatively few fossils have been found. Before this discovery, no megaraptorans had been identified in Europe, making the Isle of Wight fossil an important addition to the scientific record.
The findings were published in the journal Royal Society Open Science. The research team also used mathematical modelling to investigate how megaraptors may have spread across the world over time, taking fossil discoveries, evolutionary relationships, geography and climate into account.
Dr Cassius Morrison of University College London, the study’s lead author, told BBC News that it was a mystery why the fossil had remained overlooked for so long.
The specimen was among more than 1,000 collected by Tooley that were acquired by the Natural History Museum after his death. The discovery highlights how historical museum collections can still reveal new information about prehistoric life, even when the fossils have been studied or stored for decades.
The Isle of Wight’s fossil-rich coastline
The Isle of Wight has long been an important location for palaeontologists, with its coastal cliffs and exposed rock formations yielding fossils from the age of the dinosaurs.
Areas such as Compton Bay are known for fossil discoveries, although finding fossils along the island’s coastline can depend on erosion, tides and weather conditions.
For visitors interested in Britain’s prehistoric past, the island offers an opportunity to combine coastal scenery with a glimpse into the distant history preserved in its rocks. However, anyone hoping to look for fossils should check local guidance before collecting, as restrictions may apply in certain areas.
And while Invictibellatrix amberina was discovered long before its scientific significance was recognised, its identification raises an intriguing possibility: there may still be other prehistoric secrets waiting to be uncovered in museum collections and along the Isle of Wight’s fossil-rich shores.
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