A "sea-monster" that swam the oceans of Scotland during the Jurassic era has been identified.
The dolphin-like creature is believed to have been about 14 feet long and existed about 170 million years ago, the University of Edinburgh reported. The beasts were most likely the kings of the water and resided at the top of the food chain.
To make their findings researchers studied an array of fossil fragments of skulls, teeth, vertebrae and an upper arm bone that have been discovered on the Isle of Skye over the past 50 years. They uncovered a number of ichthyosaurs inhabited the region during the Jurassic era, including a previously unidentified species.
"During the time of dinosaurs, the waters of Scotland were prowled by big reptiles the size of motor boats. Their fossils are very rare, and only now, for the first time we've found a new species that was uniquely Scottish," said Steve Brusatte of the university's school of geosciences. "Without the generosity of the collector who donated the bones to a museum instead of keeping them or selling them, we would have never known that this amazing animal existed."
The new species was named Dearcmhara shawcrossi in honor of Brian Shawcross, who first uncovered the creature's remains back in 1959. Dearcmhara is Gaelic for marine lizard, and was inspired by the history of Skye and the Hebrides.
Skye is one of the few places across the globe where fossils from the Middle Jurassic Period can be found. The researchers hope these fascinating finds will reveal secrets of reptile development.
The findings were published in a recent edition of the Scottish Journal of Geology.
