Fossilised remains of a ‘real’ Loch Ness Monster discovered in Scottish waters
THE remains of a "real life Loch Ness Monster" have been removed from the giant rock they were found fossilised in 50 years ago.
The 170million year-old bones of the 13-metre long ichtyosaur have been dubbed "one of the crown jewels of Scottish fossils".
The marine reptile, known as the Storr Lochs Monster, was discovered on the Isle of Skye in 1966.
The fossil and the rock it was encapsulated in were stored at the National Museum Scotland for half a century, as scientists didn't have the technology to remove the remains without damaging them.
The preserved ichtyosaur is one of the most complete fossils of the animal ever discovered.
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Dr Steve Brusatte, a palaeontologist at the University of Edinburgh, said: "Ichtyosaurs like the Storr Lochs Monster ruled the waves while dinosaurs thundered across the land.
"Their bones are expectionally rare in Scotland, which makes this specimen one of the crown jewels of Scottish fossils.
"It's all thanks to the keen eye of an amateur collector that this remarkable fossil was ever found in the first place, which goes to show that you don't need an advanced degree to make huge scientific discoveries."
What is an ichtyosaur and what were they doing in Scotland?
Ichtyosaurs first appeared roughly 250 million years ago and at least one species survived until around 90 million years ago.
They were particularly abundant in the Triassic and Jurassic periods before they were replaced as the top aquatic predator by the Plesiosauria.
Science became aware of them in the early nineteenth century when complete skeletons were found in England.
Later that century many complete fossils of the marine reptile were also discovered in Germany.
The animals resembled dolphins but had conical teeth for catch and eating their prey.
They also had flippers and a vertical tail fin for propulsion.
Ichtyosaur would swim in the Atlantic Ocean and North Sea, and many of their fossilised remains have been found in Scotland.
Dr Nick Fraser, keeper of natural sciences at National Museum Scotland, said: "The Storr Lochs Monster highlights the rich fossil heritage of Skye.
"Collaborations between scientists at National Musems Scotland, the University of Edinburgh and elsewhere in the UK are beginning to shed new light on the middle Jurassic of Skye - a time when dinosaurs were dominant on land but mammals were also diversifying."
The Storr Lochs Monster was discovered by Norrie Gillies, the manager of the Storr Lochs Power Station, as he went for a stroll on a Sunday afternoon in 1966.
Gillies, an amateur fossil collector, was walking around the north of the station when he noticed the ichtyosaur's bones jutting out of the rocks.
He quickly realised the magnitude of what he had found and sent a letter to the Royal Scottish Museum.
Mr Gillies passed away in 2011 at the age of 93 without ever seeing the full specimen he had discovered.