Fossilised remains of a previously unknown armoured dinosaur have been unearthed on the Isle of Wight, marking the first new species of its kind found on the island since 1865. The dinosaur, named Vectipelta barretti, belongs to the ankylosaur family and was discovered in rocks dating back between 66 and 145 million years.
Despite its fearsome appearance, with blade-like armour, Vectipelta barretti was a herbivore. The species name honours Professor Paul Barrett, who has worked at the Natural History Museum in London for two decades. Barrett expressed he was 'flattered and absolutely delighted' by the recognition, adding jokingly that 'any physical resemblance is purely accidental'.
While the new dinosaur shares some similarities with the last ankylosaur found on the island, Polacanthus foxii, scientists believe the two species are not closely related. Vectipelta barretti had different neck, back, and pelvic bones, as well as more spiked armour. Interestingly, it has more in common with ankylosaurs discovered in China, suggesting these dinosaurs moved freely from Asia to Europe during the Early Cretaceous period.
Stuart Pond, a researcher at the Natural History Museum, noted that the find sheds light on the diversity of species in England at that time and will trigger reanalysis of other similar fossils previously assumed to belong to P foxii. The site of the discovery, the Wessex Formation, is considered 'hugely important' for understanding dinosaur extinction, which remains a subject of debate between asteroid impact and massive volcanic eruption theories.
