Scientists identify Ichthyotitan severnensis as largest known marine reptile from Somerset fossils
Updated
Updated · Earth.com · Apr 24
Scientists identify Ichthyotitan severnensis as largest known marine reptile from Somerset fossils
11 articles · Updated · Earth.com · Apr 24
An 11-year-old, Ruby Reynolds, and her father discovered 6.5-foot jawbones on Somerset’s Blue Anchor beach in 2020, leading to the identification of this new species.
The nearly two-thirds complete jaw suggests Ichthyotitan severnensis reached 82 feet, rivaling modern blue whales in length, with findings published in PLOS ONE.
This discovery highlights the Triassic period’s giant marine reptiles and underscores the role of amateur fossil hunters in advancing paleontology, as scientists hope for more complete skeletons in the future.
How did a schoolgirl's beach discovery rewrite the history of giant sea monsters?
If the 82-foot sea lizard was still growing, what was its true maximum size?
Could this giant's jawbone puzzle actually belong to more than one monster?
What cataclysm wiped out the world's largest sea reptiles, paving the way for whales?
What other colossal secrets are Somerset's eroding cliffs waiting to reveal?
Why did life produce such giants so soon after Earth's greatest mass extinction?