Natural History Museum Identifies New Dinosaur Species From Century-Old Skull Fragment

(MENAFN- USA Art News) A skull fragment housed at London's Natural History Museum for approximately a century has been identified as belonging to an entirely new species of carnivorous dinosaur, according to Discover. The discovery marks Europe's first known megaraptoran, a group of powerful prehistoric predators previously found in other parts of the world.

The newly identified dinosaur has been named Invictibellatrix amberina. Its fossil originated from the Isle of Wight and was collected by amateur fossil hunter Reginald Walter Tooley. Following his death in 1924, the Natural History Museum acquired more than 1,000 specimens from his collection, including the skull fragment. Although it was recognized as dinosaur bone, its specific species remained unknown until recently.

Researchers used CT scanning technology to examine the bone's internal structure and create a three-dimensional model. This allowed them to study anatomical details previously obscured. The fragment, which is from the rear of the skull, displayed a distinct combination of features associated with megaraptorans. These findings were published in Royal Society Open Science.

Megaraptorans were large predatory dinosaurs, more closely related to tyrannosaurs than the raptors popularized in Jurassic Park. Unlike tyrannosaurs, they hunted primarily using long, strong arms equipped with sharp claws rather than powerful jaws. Invictibellatrix amberina lived approximately 120 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period. Scientists estimate it measured between 10 and 13 feet long and stood about five feet tall. Researchers also speculate it may have had feathers, though its exact appearance is still subject to scientific reconstruction.

The discovery is significant because confirmed megaraptoran examples had only been found in Asia, Australia, and South America until now. This European finding supports a theory that megaraptorans originated in Asia, then migrated west through Europe before reaching Gondwana, an ancient southern landmass comprising modern-day South America, Africa, Antarctica, and Australia. The presence of Invictibellatrix amberina on the Isle of Wight also indicates that prehistoric Britain's dinosaur population was more diverse than previously understood.

We previously reported:

A dinosaur skeleton previously identified as a juvenile T. rex and valued at $20 million will now be offered as a Nanotyrannus at Sotheby's New York.

Source: ARTnews

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