Dinosaur Isle

Microsoft News brought me news of an important new haul of dinosaur fossils from a beach on the south coast of the Isle of Wight this morning. Brought to me on one of those panels which move on every ten seconds or so, so you have to be quick or lucky to catch it. In any event, I did.

It seems that enough bits and pieces have been recovered from Brighstone beach to name two new species: 'the first specimen has been named Ceratosuchops inferodios, which translates as the “horned crocodile-faced hell heron”, with the second specimen, Riparovenator milnerae, named “Milner’s riverbank hunter”, in honour of the late British palaeontologist Angela Milner'. Was she any relative of the Milner who was my boss for a while in the world of population statistics? Unlikely on the laws of chance, but not ruled out as a relative by marriage by reference 1.

I am reminded that these fossil bits and pieces often seem to include teeth, which often provide clues as to diet and habit. Presumably, being very hard, they stand a better chance of making it to fossilhood than other parts. And perhaps my dentist father, had his retirement been longer, would have taken an interest in them.

The bits and pieces have been given to the Dinosaur Isle visitor attraction, across the road from Yaverland Beach, our favourite beach on the island, not far from where we stay in Brading.

References

Reference 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Milner.

Reference 2: http://www.dinosaurisle.com/newhomepage.aspx.

Reference 3: © Photograph: Anthony Hutchings/PA The two new species of dinosaur that may have once roamed what is now the Isle of Wight 125m years ago.

Reference 4: https://www.artstation.com/anthonyhutchings. Probably the right Hutchings as there are lots more monsters here.