A fossil housed at the Natural History Museum in London for nearly a century has been formally identified as a new species of dinosaur named Invictibellatrix amberina. This carnivorous dinosaur, which lived around 120 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period, represents the first confirmed evidence of a megaraptoran dinosaur in Europe.
Discovery and Classification
The skull fragment of Invictibellatrix amberina was initially found at the foot of a cliff on the Isle of Wight by amateur fossil hunter Reginald Walter Tooley. Following his death in 1924, the Natural History Museum acquired more than 1,000 of his specimens, which included the overlooked skull fragment. Thanks to advancements in CT scanning technology, researchers recently took a fresh look at this artifact, leading to its classification as a distinct species.
Characteristics and Size
Estimated to measure between 3 to 4 meters in length and about 1.5 meters tall, Invictibellatrix amberina possesses many features that distinguish it from other dinosaurs. Unlike typical
