🔗 Share this article Remains Uncovered on UK Coast Represents One-of-a-kind 'Sword Dragon' Type Sea dragon experts alongside the 185m year old skeleton A nearly complete skeleton discovered along Dorset's Jurassic Coast has been classified as a new kind of ichthyosaur, a type of prehistoric marine reptile that once ruled the oceans. This marine creature ichthyosaur has been named Xiphodracon goldencapensis, or the "blade serpent of Dorset" and stands as the sole documented specimen of its type. The skull of the "sword dragon" displays a huge eye socket and indications that point to it may have been attacked by a different bigger ichthyosaur Researchers state that indentations on its skull indicate the "sword dragon" may have been fatally wounded by a attack to the head, possibly inflicted by a much larger type of ichthyosaur. First discovered by a experienced fossil hunter at Golden Cap in Dorset in 2001, the new ichthyosaur was subsequently obtained by a museum in Canada. Only in recent times been fully analyzed by specialists and a paper released classifying it as a previously unknown type of ichthyosaur. "I thought long and hard about the name," said ichthyosaur specialist Dr Dean Lomax, who co-authored the study identifying the fossil as a new species. "Xiphodracon translates to sword-like dragon and that refers to that extremely elongated, sword-like nose, but also the fact that ichthyosaurs have been called sea dragons for about 200 years." This is what ichthyosaurs may have appeared. The shown species is a shonisaurus which could reach more than 15 metres long. Prehistoric Ocean Creatures These creatures are categorized as marine reptiles, not dinosaurs, because they lived entirely in the water. This particular ichthyosaur is believed to have swum the seas about 185 million years ago, a period from which very few ichthyosaur remains have been discovered. "During this time ichthyosaurs are incredibly rare, and Xiphodracon is the most complete individual ever found from there, helping to fill a gap," Dr Lomax stated. "It's a missing piece of the puzzle in ichthyosaur development." Distinctive Features Researchers estimate the creature measured about 3m in length and has several features that have never been observed in other types of ichthyosaur. Researchers say the strangest feature is a prong-like bone near its nose opening Its head has an exceptionally large eye socket An extended sword-like snout that it used to consume fish and squid Life and Death Evidence also exists as to how this particular individual lived and died. "The limb bones and teeth are abnormally shaped in such a way that points to significant trauma or illness while the animal was still alive," said study co-author Dr Erin Maxwell. "Its head appears to have been bitten by a sizeable hunter - likely a different much larger species of ichthyosaur - giving us a cause of death for this specimen. Life in the Mesozoic oceans was a dangerous situation." Chris Moore found the 'sword dragon' in cliffs at Golden Cap in Dorset following a severe weather event Finding and Study The specimen was found in 2001 by fossil hunter Chris Moore and then acquired by the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada where it took more than 15 years to be fully analyzed. "I don't mean to boast but I have found a few of them," Mr Moore said. The actual number he's unearthed is approximately 15, with multiple of them, like the "blade serpent", proving to be previously unknown types. The discoverer stated he is intending to commemorate the recent finding but has not yet determined exactly how the recognition will take. "Champagne or a mug of tea, I'm undecided at this moment," he says. This remarkable discovery is among many ichthyosaur fossils that have been found along Dorset's Jurassic Coast dating back to the first discoveries of pioneering palaeontologist Mary Anning in the beginning of the nineteenth century.