The Discovery
A forgotten fossil stored in a museum for nearly a century has revealed a brand-new species of predatory dinosaur. Amateur palaeontologist Reginald Walter Tooley originally discovered the specimen on the Isle of Wight off England's southern coast more than 100 years ago. Following his death, the Natural History Museum in London acquired the fossil in 1924 alongside over 1,000 other specimens. It remained overlooked until a research team led by Dr Cassius Morrison of University College London re-examined it, publishing their findings in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
What Scientists Found
The newly identified creature has been named Invictibellatrix amberina, which translates roughly to "unconquered female warrior." Living approximately 120 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period, this agile, two-legged carnivore measured between three and four metres long and stood just over 1.5 metres tall. Key features include:
- Powerful arms equipped with curved claws estimated to be between 10cm and 20cm long.
- A probable coating of feathers.
- A diet consisting of smaller dinosaurs, mammals, and lizards, occupying an ecological role similar to a modern hyena.
Researchers analyzed part of the back of the skull using CT scanning to build a 3D model, comparing it against the brain cases and skulls of other meat-eating dinosaurs. They also used mathematical modeling incorporating fossil finds, climate, geography, and evolutionary links to investigate how these predators spread globally over time.
Why It Matters
This creature belonged to the megaraptorans, a mysterious group of carnivores related to tyrannosaurs like Tyrannosaurus rex. Unlike many relatives, megaraptorans relied more heavily on their oversized claws and strong arms than their jaws to capture prey. Because no megaraptoran had ever been identified in Europe prior to this study, the Isle of Wight fossil provides a vital addition to the scientific record. The find also highlights the immense value of historical museum collections and the potential for unearthing prehistoric secrets right inside existing archives.
Source: dinosaur fossil discovery - BingNews · Published October 16, 2026 · Photo by Brianna Marble on Unsplash