Inland Discoveries of Ancient Marine Reptiles in Leicestershire and Rutland

An expert has stated that previously unknown “sea dragons” exist beneath the surface where residents of Leicestershire and Rutland live. Dr. Dean Lomax, an ichthyosaur specialist, indicated that recent findings of these large marine reptiles, which inhabited the seas during the Jurassic period in both counties, might lead to the East Midlands being recognized as an unexpected area of significant discovery. Typically, ichthyosaur remains are found along coastal regions, primarily due to erosion revealing evidence of these ancient reptiles. However, the unearthing of a 10m-long predator fossil in 2021—the largest of its kind ever found in the UK—and the subsequent discovery of an ichthyosaur skull fragment this year during the construction of the new Melton bypass road, have prompted experts to re-evaluate the region’s significance. Although the coastlines of Yorkshire and Dorset are renowned for yielding ichthyosaur evidence and contemporary land-dwelling dinosaurs, these areas share a geological connection that extends directly through the East Midlands. Approximately 140 to 200 million years ago, this entire region was predominantly a shallow sea, featuring islands that supported terrestrial and aerial reptiles alongside marine organisms. However, while coastal finds from this era are more numerous, inland discoveries have a significantly higher probability of being complete. Dr. Lomax, a palaeontologist affiliated with both the University of Bristol and the University of Manchester, explained: “At the Yorkshire coastline or the Jurassic coastline, often you just have partial skeletons or complete skeletons that are eroding out. You’ve got cliff faces erosion. You’ve got the sea floor that’s been eroded away. And so if you’ve had a beautiful skeleton there once, in many cases, those bones have become scattered, and you’ll have isolated bits and pieces and maybe 50 different collectors will have parts of the skeleton. If you have an inland location, like the Rutland sea dragon, there’s always a good chance you’ll have something complete.” Discoveries in Leicestershire and Rutland are not new occurrences. Dr. Lomax noted that documented Jurassic findings from local quarries date back approximately 200 years. Nevertheless, recent discoveries, including the two ichthyosaur specimens and the initial identification of a Bajocian pterosaur in Ketton, have prompted experts to reassess the region’s importance. Dr. Lomax commented: “It’s really become a hotspot, and it’s definitely changed my perception of that area, and the potential that it has for the future, for more amazing discoveries. There’s a lot of material that could be found. And I’m sure it will be found. There are many, many, many specimens sitting under the feet of people now who are sitting in their houses, or working, living across Leicestershire and the neighbouring areas, Jurassic aged marine reptiles, and almost certainly dinosaurs as well.”