Science

Isle of Wight fossil Europe's first known long-clawed megaraptoran dinosaur

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Briefings

A UCL-led team identified a new megaraptoran dinosaur species on the Isle of Wight, described in a Royal Society Open Science paper. This is Europe's first known long-clawed megaraptoran, a large agile predator comparable in size to a tiger. The discovery marks a significant expansion of known megaraptoran ranges in Europe, though the specific species name and exact age remain to be confirmed.

Key points

• The new species is the first megaraptoran dinosaur discovered in Europe.
• The specimen is a large, long-clawed predator approximately the size of a tiger.

Context

This discovery expands the known range of megaraptorans in Europe, a group of agile, two-legged carnivores. The fossil was identified by a UCL-led team, and the species description was published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

Limitations

The specific species name and exact age of the specimen are not yet confirmed. The evidence is limited to the single fossil described in the paper, and the paper itself is a preprint.

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