1851 Fellow unearths what may be the largest known marine reptile
1851 Research Fellow Dr Dean Lomax alongside colleagues have published groundbreaking research presenting evidence for a new species of Ichthyosaur, which may be the largest known marine reptile on record.
The orcas of their time, these dolphin-like ichthyosaurs stalked the seas where the UK now lies during the late Triassic period, reaching lengths of approximately 25 metres. Dying out due to a devastating mass extinction event over 200 million years ago, their size remained unmatched with later ichthyosaurs reaching only 30 feet in length.
It was back in 2016 when fossil hunter Paul de la Salle found an unusual fossil hinting at a new, undiscovered species. Alongside Lomax in a 2018 paper, de la Salle hypothesised that the fossil had been part of the jawbone of a massive Ichthyosaur. This was backed up by the discovery in 2020 by avid fossil hunters 11 year old Ruby Reynolds and her father Justin Reynolds of two fragments of fossilised bone along the estuary of the River Severn in Blue Anchor.
Over time, the Reynolds, along with de la Salle and Lomax, continued to discover further fragments of the Ichthyosaur's jawbone, with the last piece found in 2022. Together, these new discoveries have provided enough information for the team to identify the fossils as a new species of ichthyosaur, named as Ichthyotitan severnensis in their recent paper.
Lomax published this paper during his first year of his 1851 Royal Commission Research Fellowship. Going forward he hopes to test more ambitious collaborative works and that his research can utilise other pioneering ways of studying fossils, including focusing on specimens with soft tissue preservation.
The Fellowship has enabled him to develop several of his own more ambitious ideas and broadened his horizons allowing for more collaborative work with researchers beyond his usual network.
1851 Research Fellowships give early career scientists of exceptional promise the opportunity to conduct research of their own instigation. Nobel Laureates like Ernest Rutherford (Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1908), Peter Higgs (Nobel Prize in Physics in 2013) as well as many other renowned scientists have received the support of the Commission, enabling breakthroughs across all areas of science in the UK.
Dean’s latest research, covered by The Guardian, The Independent, The Washington Post, National Geographic, and live on BBC Morning, has broadened our understanding of the earth’s past and the creatures that roamed the UK millions of years ago. These jawbones thought to have corresponded to two giant ichthyosaur reptiles, give hope to archaeologists that a complete skull or skeleton might be found on the coast of the UK.
He says “Without funding, these novel areas of research would be near impossible to explore and study in detail” and that the Commission has been thoroughly supportive of not only his academic research but of his public outreach. As he puts it, “This is an area that is vitally important for scientists, to essentially showcase to a broader audience what it is we do and why this is so significant.” Dean explained, that the freedom of the 1851 Fellowship enables researchers to lead major projects, growing within their respective disciplines but also unlocks opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaborations.
