New Dinosaur Species With Blade-Like Spikes Identified In UK

Fossilised remains found on an island in the United Kingdom have been identified as a new species of dinosaur. The fossil with blade-like spikes for armour was discovered on the Isle of Wight, just off England's south coast, according to CBS News. Named Vactipelta barretti, it is the first armoured dinosaur species to be discovered in the area in 142 years, the outlet further said. It is part of the wider Ankylosaur family, the plant-eating dinosaurs. The dinosaur lived in the region between 145 and 66 million years ago, according to London's Natural History Museum.

CBS News said that 29 different species of dinosaur have been discovered on the Isle of Wight, including the two new species of large, predatory dinosaurs discovered in 2021.

"All ankylosaur remains from the Isle of Wight have been assigned to Polacanthus foxii, a famous dinosaur from the island, now all of those finds need to be revisited because we've described this new species," Stuart Pond, a lead researcher on the project, told the outlet.

The findings have been published in the scientific Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.

In the paper, palaeontologists say the fossils show Vectipelta barretti had different neck, back and pelvic bones, and a more spiked set of armour plates, than the already known Polacanthus foxii.

The species has been named after Professor Paul Barrett, the head of fossil vertebrates at the Natural History Museum (NHM).

"I'm flattered and absolutely delighted to have been recognised in this way, not least as the first paper I ever wrote was also on an armoured dinosaur in the NHM collections. I'm sure that any physical resemblance is purely accidental," he told The Guardian.

Researchers said both ankylosaurs - V barrette and Polacanthus - originated from the same island, originated from the same island but were not closely related.

They said the new species most closely related to the Chinese ankylosaurs, suggesting these dinosaurs moved freely from Asia to Europe.