The giant "sea dragon" fossil was discovered in a reservoir in Rutland and is the largest and most complete fish rhinoplasty ever found in England. The fossil is nearly 10m long and has a skull weighing 1 ton.
This fossil is also believed to be the first example of a special species of fish ruoi named Temnodontosaurus trigonodon found in England.
The giant marine reptile that coexisted with the Dinosaur era has the shape of a pork. They became extinct about 90 million years ago after first appearing 250 million years ago.
This giant "sea dragon" fossil was first discovered by Joe Davis, head of the conservation team from Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, in February last year at the Rutland Nature Reserve managed by Anglian Water.
While Davis was recreating the landscape, including draining water from the lake, he discovered parts of the vertebrae emerging from the mud. The large-scale excavation was conducted in August and September by paleontologists, led by Dean Lomax, a fish rhinoplasty expert.
"The size and completeness are what makes this fossil so special," Lomax experts told CNN. He added that previous findings of fish termite in England were not nearly complete and as large as this specimen. This is even the largest complete specimen found globally. "A truly wonderful discovery" and "a real highlight in my career," Ms. Lomax added.
This is the pinnacle of the food chain, the pinnacle of hunting animals. Therefore, it will eat other fish relatives, eat large fish and if it can catch squid, it will eat the whole squid" - he said.
However, according to expert Lomax, this discovery is just a "floating part of a floating iceberg", there is much to explore about the specimens after the rocks are cleared.
