ISLE OF BITE
Terrifying new dinosaur dubbed the ‘hell heron’ once preyed on visitors to Isle of Wight, scientists reveal
A TERRIFYING new dinosaur dubbed the “hell heron” once preyed on visitors to the Isle of Wight, scientists have revealed.
The beast, capable of swallowing a human in one gulp, is one of two newly found predators that roamed there long before it became a holiday spot — around 125million years ago.
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The two discoveries in quick succession were hailed as a “huge surprise” by delighted dino experts.
However, tourism chiefs would have got the Needles from the 30ft long, 10ft tall “Ceratosuchops inferodios”, which translates as the “horned crocodile-faced hell heron”.
Its hunting style was similar to the modern-day heron, which feeds on both aquatic and terrestrial prey.
So it would have loved the surf and turf menu options at Brighstone beach, where its bones were found.
And if you're baffled by the 'hell heron', then check out the Nigersaurus.
However, internet users have been warned not to fall for a "Don't google which dinosaur had 500 teeth" prank after sick Reddit users made a racist joke go viral about the Nigersaurus.
Fossil-hunters at the same spot of the 'hell heron' also discovered another carnivorous reptile of a similar size, named “Riparovenator milnerae”. It translates as “Milner’s riverbank hunter”, in honour of top palaeontologist Angela Milner, who died recently.
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Researcher Dr Jeremy Lockwood, 64, who lives on the Isle of Wight and discovered several of the bones, said: “We realised when the two snouts were found that this would be something rare and unusual. It just got more and more amazing as several collectors found and donated other parts of this enormous jigsaw.
“Coming face to face with one of these things would have been absolutely terrifying. They would have used their crushing teeth and huge claws to tear you to pieces.
“They had these huge hook-like claws on their thumbs which they would have used to swipe fish from the water and spear prey.
“With their metre-long jaws, they would have been very fearful predators - something you certainly wouldn’t want to get anywhere near.”
Scientists say the pair are new species of spinosaurid, a group of predatory theropod dinosaurs closely related to the giant Spinosaurus.
More than 50 bones were uncovered from rocks that form part of the Wessex Formation, laid down more than 125million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period.
Around then, the Isle of Wight was made up of floodplains and rivers, with a Med-like climate. Sharks and crocodiles would also roam there.
Fossil collectors initially found parts of two skulls before a team from the local Dinosaur Isle Museum uncovered a large section of a tail.
The only spinosaurid skeleton previously unearthed in the UK belonged to Baryonyx, initially discovered in 1983 at a Surrey quarry.
Prof Steve Brusatte, author of bestselling The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs, said: “What an amazing day where we are introduced to not just one, but two new British dinosaurs.
“Both of these dinosaurs were early relatives of the famous Spinosaurus, the sail-backed menace of Africa during the Cretaceous.
“These new British spinosaurs would have been smaller versions of their famous cousin, but probably just about as terrifying.
“They would have not only hunted down prey on land, but also lurked near the rivers where they could spear fish from the shores, or maybe even venture into the shallow waters and swim after their prey.
“These discoveries go to show that even 200 years after the first British dinosaurs were discovered and named, there are still new fossils to be found right here in our backyard.”
Study author Chris Barker, from the University of Southampton, said: “We found the skulls to differ not only from Baryonyx, but also one another, suggesting the UK housed a greater diversity of spinosaurids than previously thought.”
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Co-author Darren Naish said: “We’ve known for a couple of decades that Baryonyx-like dinosaurs awaited discovery on the Isle of Wight. But finding the remains of two such animals in close succession was a huge surprise.”
The new fossils will go on display at Dinosaur Isle Museum at Sandown.
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