Groundbreaking Fossil Discovery Unveils New Dinosaur Species In UK

London: A new dinosaur species was discovered on the Isle of Wight, UK. The fossil belongs to the Ankylosaur family and features blade-like spikes for armour. Named Vactipelta barretti, it is the first armoured dinosaur found in the area in 142 years, living between 145 and 66 million years ago.

Published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, the findings reveal that Vactipelta barretti had distinct skeletal features and a more spiked set of armour plates compared to Polacanthus foxii, the previously known ankylosaur from the Isle of Wight.

The new species is named after Professor Paul Barrett of London’s Natural History Museum, who expressed delight and gratitude for the recognition. Researchers noted that Vactipelta barretti and Polacanthus originated from the same island but were not closely related, suggesting the movement of these dinosaurs between Asia and Europe.

The Isle of Wight has yielded 29 different dinosaur species, including two large predatory dinosaurs discovered in 2021.