New Isle of Wight dinosaur skull reveals early European megaraptoran

A partial skull unearthed on the Isle of Wight has been classified as a new dinosaur species, Invictibellatrix amberina, representing an early European megaraptoran. Measuring roughly 16 feet in length and possibly feathered, the animal was a swift hunter that used its long arms and massive claws to capture prey, likely targeting small mammals, reptiles, and juvenile dinosaurs. The discovery, detailed in Royal Society Open Science by postdoctoral researcher Cassius Morrison of the University of Leeds, provides the first European evidence of this theropod lineage, supporting theories of an Asian origin followed by migration through Europe to other continents.

Co-author Charlie Scherer of University College London noted that the skull, acquired by the Natural History Museum in 1924, had sat unnoticed in storage until recent re-examination. The find adds to understanding of megaraptoran evolution and their ecological role alongside larger predators of the Cretaceous.