Latest news with #Iguanodon
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Jurassic dinosaur fossil extracted from cliff in Scottish island
A FOSSIL first spotted in a Scottish island over 50 years ago has finally been extracted from the base of the cliff where it was found and, following analysis, formally identified as a Jurassic dinosaur. The fossil was first discovered in Skye in 1973, making it Scotland's earliest recorded dinosaur find. It was not fully identified at the time and remained uncollected until a team led by Dr Elsa Panciroli returned in 2018 to the location near Elgol, in the south of the island, to undertake a challenging extraction from the rock. READ MORE: While the Elgol dinosaur is preserved only in fragments compared to some specimens found elsewhere, researchers have identified part of the spine, ribs and hip bones, making it the most complete dinosaur skeleton found to date in Scotland. Close study of these bones has led researchers to believe that it is an ornithopod dinosaur, a group of which includes notable later dinosaurs such as Iguanodon, Parasaurolophus and Edmontosaurus. The Elgol dinosaur dates to around 166 million years ago, in the Middle Jurassic, making it one of the earliest known ornithipod body fossils, as that group of dinosaurs became far more prominent in the later Cretaceous period. Analysis of the bone structure indicates that the animal, which would have been roughly the size of a pony, was at least 8 years old. The new description of the Elgol dinosaur is published in the Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. (Image: Neil Hanna) Lead author, Dr Elsa Panciroli (above), the NERC independent research fellow at National Museums Scotland said: 'This was a really challenging extraction, in fact we'd previously felt it was too difficult to collect the fossil, but I thought it was really important to study it. I was able to persuade the team to give it a try. It took a lot of hard work from a lot of people, but we did it: finally we can confirm and publish Scotland's first recorded and most complete dinosaur, and that makes it all worthwhile.' The difficult excavation was made possible with the support of a specialist team from Research Casting International, based in Canada. A local crew from Elgol's Bella Jane Boat Trips piloted the rigid inflatable boat and dinghy to the shore at the foot of the cliff, where the specimen was loaded and taken back to port. Dr Stig Walsh from National Museums Scotland added: 'This is a wonderful addition to the rapidly growing set of Jurassic finds from the Isle of Skye which are enabling us to learn more and more about the rich ecosystem of the time. We've known there were dinosaurs there for a while, most obviously from the famous footprints at An Corran, Brother's Point and Duntulm and from individual bones, but it's exciting to see a more complete, if still partial, skeleton. We're delighted to add it to the other amazing finds now in the National Collection'. Other recent Jurassic discoveries from Skye include the description of adult and juvenile mammals of the same species, Krusatodon, which revealed that these mammals grew more slowly than mammals today, and the world's largest Jurassic pterosaur fossil, Dearc sgiathanach.
Sky News
06-03-2025
- Science
- Sky News
Elgol dinosaur fossil found in 1973 finally extracted from base of cliff on Isle of Skye
A Jurassic dinosaur fossil that was first spotted more than 50 years ago has been extracted from the base of a cliff on Skye and formally identified. The fossil was discovered near to Elgol in 1973 and is Scotland's earliest recorded dinosaur find. National Museums Scotland (NMS) said it remained uncollected until a team led by Dr Elsa Panciroli returned in 2018. Known as the Elgol dinosaur, the fossil is preserved in fragments, but experts have identified part of the spine, ribs and hipbones - making it the most complete dinosaur skeleton found to date in Scotland. Bone analysis has led researchers to believe it is an ornithopod dinosaur, a group which includes notable later dinosaurs such as Iguanodon, Parasaurolophus and Edmontosaurus. It is believed to date from around 166 million years ago, in the Middle Jurassic, making it one of the oldest known ornithopod body fossils, from a group of dinosaurs that became far more prominent in the later Cretaceous period. Dinosaur finds are rare in Scotland and much of the rock that is exposed at the surface across the country is not from the period when the animals ruled the earth - the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, jointly known as the Mesozoic era. Dinosaur finds are more common in southern England where more of the exposed rock is geologically newer. Analysis of the bone structure indicates the Elgol dinosaur, which would have been roughly the size of a pony, was at least eight years old. The new description of the dinosaur is published in the Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Lead author Dr Panciroli, Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) independent research fellow at NMS, said: "This was a really challenging extraction. "In fact, we'd previously felt it was too difficult to collect the fossil, but I thought it was really important to study it. "I was able to persuade the team to give it a try. It took a lot of hard work from a lot of people, but we did it: finally we can confirm and publish Scotland's first recorded and most complete dinosaur, and that makes it all worthwhile." The excavation was made possible with the support of a specialist team from Research Casting International, based in Canada, while a crew from Elgol's Bella Jane Boat Trips piloted the rigid inflatable boat and dinghy to the shore at the foot of the cliff, where the specimen was loaded and taken back to port. Other Jurassic discoveries from Skye include descriptions of adult and juvenile mammals of the same species, Krusatodon, which revealed the animals grew more slowly than the mammals of today, and the world's largest Jurassic pterosaur (flying reptile) fossil, Dearc sgiathanach. Hundreds of dinosaur tracks have also been discovered across Skye in recent years. Dr Stig Walsh, from NMS, said: "This is a wonderful addition to the rapidly growing set of Jurassic finds from the Isle of Skye which are enabling us to learn more and more about the rich ecosystem of the time. "We've known there were dinosaurs there for a while, most obviously from the famous footprints at An Corran, Brother's Point and Duntulm and from individual bones, but it's exciting to see a more complete, if still partial, skeleton. "We're delighted to add it to the other amazing finds now in the national collection." The earliest scientifically described dinosaur find in the UK was in Oxfordshire in the mid to late 17th century - a now-lost piece of bone from the Megalosaurus. But it wasn't until the early 19th century that after another find from the same animal in the same area, the Megalosaurus was the first dinosaur to be named, according to the Oxford Museum of Natural History.
The Independent
06-03-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Fossil from dinosaur the size of a pony pulled from cliff on Isle of Skye
A Jurassic dinosaur fossil, first discovered more than five decades ago, has finally been unearthed from a cliff base on the Isle of Skye. The fossil, dubbed the Elgol dinosaur, represents Scotland 's earliest recorded dinosaur, discovered near Elgol in the island's south in 1973. Despite its initial discovery, the fossil remained embedded in the cliff until a team led by Elsa Panciroli initiated an extraction effort in 2018. Early assessments suggested retrieval would be too challenging. However, with the crucial assistance of a local boat company, the team successfully extracted the fossil, raising hopes for further discoveries on Skye. Dating back to the Middle Jurassic period, the Elgol dinosaur is fragmented. Researchers have identified parts of the spine, ribs, and a hip bone, classifying it as the most complete dinosaur skeleton yet found in Scotland. Bone analysis has led researchers to believe it is an ornithopod dinosaur, a group which includes notable later dinosaurs such as Iguanodon, Parasaurolophus and Edmontosaurus. It is one of the earliest known ornithopod body fossils, as that group of dinosaurs became far more prominent in the later Cretaceous period. Analysis of the bone structure indicates the dinosaur, which would have been roughly the size of a pony, was at least eight years old. The new description of the Elgol dinosaur is published in the Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Ms Panciroli, the lead author and Natural Environment Research Council independent research fellow at National Museums Scotland, said: 'This was a really challenging extraction, in fact we'd previously felt it was too difficult to collect the fossil, but I thought it was really important to study it. 'I was able to persuade the team to give it a try. It took a lot of hard work from a lot of people, but we did it: finally we can confirm and publish Scotland's first recorded and most complete dinosaur, and that makes it all worthwhile.' The excavation was possible with the support of a specialist team from Research Casting International, based in Canada, while a crew from Elgol's Bella Jane Boat Trips piloted the rigid inflatable boat and dingy to the shore at the foot of the cliff, where the specimen was loaded and taken back to port. Stig Walsh from National Museums Scotland said: 'This is a wonderful addition to the rapidly growing set of Jurassic finds from the Isle of Skye which are enabling us to learn more and more about the rich ecosystem of the time. 'We've known there were dinosaurs there for a while, most obviously from the famous footprints at An Corran, Brother's Point and Duntulm and individual bones, but it's exciting to see a more complete, if still partial, skeleton. 'We're delighted to add it to the other amazing finds now in the national collection.' Other Jurassic discoveries from Skye include the description of adult and juvenile mammals of the same species, Krusatodon, which revealed the mammals grew more slowly than mammals today, and the world's largest Jurassic pterosaur fossil, Dearc sgiathanach. Professor Susie Maidment, of the Natural History Museum and the University of Birmingham, said: 'The Elgol dinosaur was a challenge to collect, and has proven perhaps an even bigger challenge to identify. Some aspects of the bones indicate that the specimen may be an ornithopod, a group of plant-eating dinosaurs that are best known from the Cretaceous. 'This specimen, however, would already have been a fossil by the time the better-known ornithopods like Iguanodon and Hypsilophodon were walking the Earth. 'Recent research on the fossils of Elgol has revealed a diverse ecosystem of extraordinarily preserved Middle Jurassic animals, and I'm sure there are more exciting discoveries to come.' Professor Rob Ellam, editor of Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, said: 'I would like to congratulate Dr Panciroli and her international team of co-authors. 'Having this exceptional piece of work on the Elgol dinosaur – both Scotland's earliest and most complete dinosaur fossil – in the pages of Transactions is a highlight for the journal. 'It is a privilege to be able to publish a world-class study led from Scotland which illustrates why the Scottish palaeontological community is held in such high esteem.'
The Independent
06-03-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Elgol dinosaur fossil found in 1973 finally extracted from base of cliff on Skye
A Jurassic dinosaur fossil has been extracted from the base of a cliff on the Isle of Skye where it was found more than 50 years ago. The fossil known as the Elgol dinosaur was discovered in 1973 near Elgol, in the south of the island, and is Scotland's earliest recorded dinosaur. It was not fully identified and remained uncollected until a team led by Elsa Panciroli returned in 2018. Initially researchers believed it was too difficult to extract the fossil, however it has now been achieved with the help of a local boat company, and scientists are hopeful there will be further discoveries on the island. The Elgol dinosaur dates from the Middle Jurassic period and is preserved in fragments, but researchers have identified part of the spine, ribs and a hip bone, making it the most complete dinosaur skeleton found to date in Scotland. Bone analysis has led researchers to believe it is an ornithopod dinosaur, a group which includes notable later dinosaurs such as Iguanodon, Parasaurolophus and Edmontosaurus. It is one of the earliest known ornithopod body fossils, as that group of dinosaurs became far more prominent in the later Cretaceous period. Analysis of the bone structure indicates the dinosaur, which would have been roughly the size of a pony, was at least eight years old. The new description of the Elgol dinosaur is published in the Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Ms Panciroli, the lead author and Natural Environment Research Council independent research fellow at National Museums Scotland, said: 'This was a really challenging extraction, in fact we'd previously felt it was too difficult to collect the fossil, but I thought it was really important to study it. 'I was able to persuade the team to give it a try. It took a lot of hard work from a lot of people, but we did it: finally we can confirm and publish Scotland's first recorded and most complete dinosaur, and that makes it all worthwhile.' The excavation was possible with the support of a specialist team from Research Casting International, based in Canada, while a crew from Elgol's Bella Jane Boat Trips piloted the rigid inflatable boat and dingy to the shore at the foot of the cliff, where the specimen was loaded and taken back to port. Stig Walsh from National Museums Scotland said: 'This is a wonderful addition to the rapidly growing set of Jurassic finds from the Isle of Skye which are enabling us to learn more and more about the rich ecosystem of the time. 'We've known there were dinosaurs there for a while, most obviously from the famous footprints at An Corran, Brother's Point and Duntulm and individual bones, but it's exciting to see a more complete, if still partial, skeleton. 'We're delighted to add it to the other amazing finds now in the national collection.' Other Jurassic discoveries from Skye include the description of adult and juvenile mammals of the same species, Krusatodon, which revealed the mammals grew more slowly than mammals today, and the world's largest Jurassic pterosaur fossil, Dearc sgiathanach. Professor Susie Maidment, of the Natural History Museum and the University of Birmingham, said: 'The Elgol dinosaur was a challenge to collect, and has proven perhaps an even bigger challenge to identify. Some aspects of the bones indicate that the specimen may be an ornithopod, a group of plant-eating dinosaurs that are best known from the Cretaceous. 'This specimen, however, would already have been a fossil by the time the better-known ornithopods like Iguanodon and Hypsilophodon were walking the Earth. 'Recent research on the fossils of Elgol has revealed a diverse ecosystem of extraordinarily preserved Middle Jurassic animals, and I'm sure there are more exciting discoveries to come.' Professor Rob Ellam, editor of Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, said: 'I would like to congratulate Dr Panciroli and her international team of co-authors. 'Having this exceptional piece of work on the Elgol dinosaur – both Scotland's earliest and most complete dinosaur fossil – in the pages of Transactions is a highlight for the journal. 'It is a privilege to be able to publish a world-class study led from Scotland which illustrates why the Scottish palaeontological community is held in such high esteem.'
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Elgol dinosaur fossil found in 1973 finally extracted from base of cliff on Skye
A Jurassic dinosaur fossil has been extracted from the base of a cliff on the Isle of Skye where it was found more than 50 years ago. The fossil known as the Elgol dinosaur was discovered in 1973 near Elgol, in the south of the island, and is Scotland's earliest recorded dinosaur. It was not fully identified and remained uncollected until a team led by Elsa Panciroli returned in 2018. Initially researchers believed it was too difficult to extract the fossil, however it has now been achieved with the help of a local boat company, and scientists are hopeful there will be further discoveries on the island. The Elgol dinosaur dates from the Middle Jurassic period and is preserved in fragments, but researchers have identified part of the spine, ribs and a hip bone, making it the most complete dinosaur skeleton found to date in Scotland. Bone analysis has led researchers to believe it is an ornithopod dinosaur, a group which includes notable later dinosaurs such as Iguanodon, Parasaurolophus and Edmontosaurus. It is one of the earliest known ornithopod body fossils, as that group of dinosaurs became far more prominent in the later Cretaceous period. Analysis of the bone structure indicates the dinosaur, which would have been roughly the size of a pony, was at least eight years old. The new description of the Elgol dinosaur is published in the Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Ms Panciroli, the lead author and Natural Environment Research Council independent research fellow at National Museums Scotland, said: 'This was a really challenging extraction, in fact we'd previously felt it was too difficult to collect the fossil, but I thought it was really important to study it. 'I was able to persuade the team to give it a try. It took a lot of hard work from a lot of people, but we did it: finally we can confirm and publish Scotland's first recorded and most complete dinosaur, and that makes it all worthwhile.' The excavation was possible with the support of a specialist team from Research Casting International, based in Canada, while a crew from Elgol's Bella Jane Boat Trips piloted the rigid inflatable boat and dingy to the shore at the foot of the cliff, where the specimen was loaded and taken back to port. Stig Walsh from National Museums Scotland said: 'This is a wonderful addition to the rapidly growing set of Jurassic finds from the Isle of Skye which are enabling us to learn more and more about the rich ecosystem of the time. 'We've known there were dinosaurs there for a while, most obviously from the famous footprints at An Corran, Brother's Point and Duntulm and individual bones, but it's exciting to see a more complete, if still partial, skeleton. 'We're delighted to add it to the other amazing finds now in the national collection.' Other Jurassic discoveries from Skye include the description of adult and juvenile mammals of the same species, Krusatodon, which revealed the mammals grew more slowly than mammals today, and the world's largest Jurassic pterosaur fossil, Dearc sgiathanach. Professor Susie Maidment, of the Natural History Museum and the University of Birmingham, said: 'The Elgol dinosaur was a challenge to collect, and has proven perhaps an even bigger challenge to identify. Some aspects of the bones indicate that the specimen may be an ornithopod, a group of plant-eating dinosaurs that are best known from the Cretaceous. 'This specimen, however, would already have been a fossil by the time the better-known ornithopods like Iguanodon and Hypsilophodon were walking the Earth. 'Recent research on the fossils of Elgol has revealed a diverse ecosystem of extraordinarily preserved Middle Jurassic animals, and I'm sure there are more exciting discoveries to come.' Professor Rob Ellam, editor of Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, said: 'I would like to congratulate Dr Panciroli and her international team of co-authors. 'Having this exceptional piece of work on the Elgol dinosaur – both Scotland's earliest and most complete dinosaur fossil – in the pages of Transactions is a highlight for the journal. 'It is a privilege to be able to publish a world-class study led from Scotland which illustrates why the Scottish palaeontological community is held in such high esteem.'
