DINOSAURIA A number of different dinosaurs have been identified in the county, including: Altispinax dunkeri, was a twelve metre long thug from the Lower Cretaceous. It was something of a Mesozoic europhile, with fossils known from various places in southern England, Belgium and Germany. In Dorset, remains have been reported from the Upper Purbeck beds. Many regard this taxon as somewhat dubious. This was previously named Megalosaurus dunkeri. New research suggests the Dorset material (large teeth) may actually be closer to Allosaurus, (Milner AC, 2002). Dacentrurus armatus, an Upper Jurassic stegosaur, and about 15 foot long. Remains are known from various sites in England, Dorset included. Further material has been recovered from France, Portugal and Spain. A partial skeleton is in the Natural History Museum, London, though this was found in the neighbouring county of Wiltshire. (With thanks to Marcel Opitz for spotting the deliberate mistake, since corrected! I saw the second myself.) Material from this genus has also been ascribed to Omosaurus and Astrodon. Echinodon becklesi, a plant eater of less than a metre in length, which lived either during the very latest Upper Jurassic or the very earliest Lower Cretaceous. Fragmentary skulls of three individuals were discovered near Corfe Castle in the 1850s. More material has been collected at Durlston Bay, near Swanage. Scutes are evidence of armour. It's known from the Middle Purbeck Beds, (and Colorado). Personally, it's one of my favourites. Remains of small dinosaurs are relatively unusual. Firstly, they're more fragile and less likely to fossilize. Secondly, they're harder to notice. This doesn't necessarily mean they were rarely represented when alive. Hylaeosaurus sp., an armoured, nodosaurid herbivore better known from the Isle of Wight. Some material has also been identified in the Lower Cretaceous Upper Purbeck beds. The sp. here means some species or other. A more complete identification hasn't been made. ?Iguanodon, a large herbivore of the Lower Cretaceous from the Purbecks. Recent research on the remains of "Iguanodon hoggi" apparently suggests that it might be a species of Camptosaurus. Whichever, it's definitely a dinosaur! (With thanks to Simon Clabby of the Isle of Wight.) The holotype is a jaw from the Upper Purbeck beds. At one time or another, material from this taxon has also been referred to as Iguanosaurus, Heterosaurus, Cetiosaurus (!), Streptospondylus, Vectisaurus, Therosaurus and Sphenospondylus. People enjoy naming new kinds of dinosaur, which can make things very complicated, when it comes to researching the history of finds. It's just as well that museums give fossils catalogue numbers. Unlike names, these don't get changed. Ischyrosaurus manseli, an Upper Jurassic sauropod. This is very poorly known. Perhaps iffyrosaurus might be more appropriate. It's based on a large limb bone found near Weymouth in the late nineteenth century. Lexovisaurus durobrivensis, was a smallish stegosaur of the Middle Jurassic, which has been reported from the Oxford Clay Formation. This was also christened Omosaurus leedsi. Megalosaurus, a carnivore of the Middle and Upper Jurassic. Remains of two species have been identified near Sherborne, in the north of the county. Other isolated finds have also been consigned to this confusing genus. One of the species is M. hesperis, is known from the right and front of the upper jaws, both lower jaws and a few bits and pieces. These were first discussed in print in 1883, and were probably found "near the back of the houses on the north side of Cold Harbour Road, (Waldman 1974, p.326). They date from the Middle Jurassic (Bajocian). This was a large individual of perhaps nine metres in length. It's also been called Walkersaurus hesperis, though this name doesn't seem to have been formally published. To make things more complicated, it was previously assigned to Megalosaurus bucklandi, but its jaws have a greater number of teeth. It now lives in the Natural History Museum in London. The species name is Greek for 'western'. The second species is M. nethercombensis. A wild guess suggests this probably came from near Nethercomb, which is confirmed by Waldman, 1974 (p.333). Known material includes a lower jaw, a couple of vertebrae, part of the pelvis and some leg bone. This was a smaller creature of perhaps four metres in length, but the individual appears to have been a juvenile. It's less toothy than M. hesperis and lived at much the same time. Its present abode is in the collection of the Oxfor University Museum. Both of these species have also been ascribed to Magnosaurus, and why not? However, I'm presently following the interpretation in the 1974 paper by Michael Waldman, (see Bibliography). There's also Magnosaurus lydekkeri, (aka Megalosaurus lydekkeri!), which is a single tooth and doubtless very fierce. Merosaurus, a small carnivore of the Lower Jurassic, based on fossils originally held to be Scelidosaurus. It's frustratingly poorly known. The most substantial element is a knee bone, albeit possibly a ferocious one. (Thanks are due to Marcel Opitz of Gladbeck, Germany.) Metriacanthosaurus, an eight metre carnivore of the early Upper Jurassic. This genus, which is based on a partial skeleton, was originally described under the name of Megalosaurus parkeri. It's notable for the high spines on its back, which are perhaps evidence of a sail. The remains came from the Corallian Oolite Formation, for those of a geological disposition. (With thanks due to Chris Benzinski.) Nuthetes destructor, a poorly preserved, small meateater, which lived at the same time as Echinodon. Remains have been recovered from Durlston Bay. These include a couple of fragments of lower jaw and isolated teeth. The holotype, (the fossil upon which the genus is based), lives in the County Museum, Dorchester. It was originally described as a lizard by Richard Owen in 1854. Later, it was thought to be a crocodile. In reality, it's a dino (possibly juvenile). New findings (Milner AC, 2002) place Nuthetes within the family Dromaeosauridae. Pelorosaurus humerocristatus, a sauropod of the Upper Jurassic. One of those long-necked ones. Some remains were reported from the Kimmeridge clay. It's dated as Upper Jurassic. The holotype is a leg bone in the Natural History Museum in London. It's also been referred to as Cetiosaurus humerocristatus. To complicate matters, Pelorosaurus generally refers to sauropod fossils from the Lower Cretaceous, but not in this case. The name has been applied to much material and this badly needs revising. Be that as it may, there was this great big animal wandering around, whatever it ends up being called! Apparently, "Gigantosaurus" Damon, 1884 also referred to this fossil. I've even seen a reference to it as Giganotosaurus, which must be a mistake. That's a meateater from South America, which was larger than Tyrannosaurus. Polacanthus foxii, a four metre long armoured herbivore of the Lower Cretaceous, which is better known from the Isle of Wight. Fragmentary remains have been reported from Lyme Bay. (Confirmation has been provided by the (unofficial) BBC .) Mr Simon DinoWight Clabby has been to the City Museum in Bristol. They have a Polacanthus spine from Dorset in their collection. They've also got a 20 foot long Lyme Regis ichthyosaur. Lucky Bristol. Fortunately, Dorset has a better football team. Come on Bournemouth! Sauropod. This may be the start of something big. A bone has been recovered from a quarry in Portland. Originally, it was assumed to be part of a leg. It now seems it's part of a foot; a sauropod foot. Estimates suggest an animal with a shoulder height of about five metres, and a total weight of something like twenty tonnes. As that particular part of the quarry is still being worked, there's a reasonable possibility of more of the critter turning up. Although in Portland, the limestone is called Purbeckian. It's held to be earliest Cretaceous. BBC 4.2.2004, Dinosaur foot bone found http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/dorset/3458629.stm Mit bestem Dank an Jens! Scelidosaurus, an early armoured herbivore of the Lower Jurassic. Since the 1860s, extensive remains of this animal have been recovered near Charmouth, west Dorset. In 1985 a skin impression was found, along with a further partial skeleton. This is the best preserved of Dorset's dinosaurs, and a fine specimen is on display in the Natural History Museum, London. A further specimen can be petted at the City Museum in Bristol. They've also got a skin impression. Recent years have seen a Scelidosaurus rush from the same cliffs. Five more have emerged during the last five years. An example recovered in 2000 includes the partial, fossilized contents of its stomach. Definitely a plant eater. There are hopes that this individual, when fully prepared, will remain resident within the county. (With thanks to Richard Edmonds.) Purbeck 2000, Great Lizards, Purbeck's Dinosaurs http://www.accesslanguages.co.uk/pb2k/lizards.html This guide to the Purbecks includes a page on the dinosaurs of Durlston Bay. As well as bones and teeth, a goodly number of Lower Cretaceous footprints have been found over the years (iguanadont, Grallator, 'megalosaur' and sauropod -sometimes ascribed to Cetiosaurus), as have fragments of egg shell. Such fossils stem mainly from the Isle of Purbeck. One location contains a hundred or so footprints, which were made by paddling sauropods. In November 2001, footprints have turned up in the Purbeckian Limestone on the Isle of Portland as well. A short study of a Purbeck representative is available on-line: An Ichnite from the Purbeck Limestone Group, Swanage, Dorset by Simon M Clabby http://www.geocities.com/dinowightpapers/ichnite.html Iguanodon footprints from Dorset are still capable of walking, it would appear. Here's a couple which have rambled all the way up to Worcester. http://www.worc.ac.uk/eht/worcpics.html And further examples which left Swanage for the Natural History Museum in London. Suttle Natural Stone - Dinosaur Footprints. Other Mesozoic Dorset fossils include ichthyosaurs, (a complete baby ichthyo was found near Lyme Regis in 2001), plesiosaurs, crocodiles, pterosaurs (eg. Dimorphodon), early mammals (eg. Durlston Bay again), late non-mammalian therapsids (Stereognathus), fish, amphibians, shelled creatures, insects and plants, even trees, (eg. Portland). There are also the remains of a fossilized forest, best seen east of Lulworth. See: Lulworth Cove by Ian West http://www.soton.ac.uk/~imw/lulworth.htm A technical study of microscopic wood remains from Dorset is: Microscopic fragments of Mesozoic conifer wood found in the Kimmeridge clay and Purbeck sediments and related topics, by Keith W Abineri http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artmay99/kamast4.html The cliffs at Kimmeridge Bay. Mesozoic mammals There will now be some very obscure words... Amongst the recorded mammal remains are the multituberculates Albionbaatar, Gerhardodon, Plagiaulax, Plioprion, and Sunnyodon. 'Symmetrodonts' are represented by Eurylambda, Spalacotherium, and Tinodon. Docodonts include Docodon and Peraiocynodon whilst the known triconodonts include Triconodon and Trioracodon. Peramura is represented by Peramus. Dorsetodon, and Magnimus are cladotherians (or closely related), whilst Dryolestida is represented by Kurtodon, Peraspalax, Phascolestes and Thereuodon, with Chunnelodon possibly a further relative. A tribosphenic form is Tribactonodon. A strongly worn, multituberculate tooth was also reported from Middle Jurassic rock, (Kielan-Jaworowska & Hurum, 2001, p.411). If correct, this would be the oldest, uncontested multi material yet recovered. They cite the source: Freeman EF (1976), A mammalian fossil from the Forest Marble (Middle Jurassic) of Dorset. Proceedings of the Geologist's Association, 87, p.231-236. These are fossils of great scientific value and are not the sort of thing amateur collectors are likely to recognize or notice. Most finds are of microscopic teeth, one or two millimetres in length. Very occasionally, pieces of jaw have also been discovered. Apologies for the funny names, but that's paleontology. Further information on the above listed mammals is avilable at: Mesozoic Eucynodonts by Self MY http://home.nexgo.de/ktdykes/meseucaz.htm Reports on vaious Mesozoic localities are also available: Location Summaries

Go to: Dinosauria.... Fossil locations and museums

Bibliography: Coram R: Where to Find Fossils in Southern England (British Fossils, 1989) The source for Polacanthus. Edmonds Richard: Discover Dorset: Fossils (Dovecote Press, 1999) Ensom Paul: Discover Dorset: Geology (Dovecote Press, 1998) includes Megalosaurus, Scelidosaurus. Kielan-Jaworowska Z & Hurum JH (2001), Phylogeny and systematics of multituberculate mammals, Palaeonotology, Vol 44 (3), p.389-429. Milner AC (2002), Theropod Dinosaurs of the Purbeck Limestone Group, Southern England, Special Papers in Palaeontology, 68, p.191-201. Norman David: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs (Greenwich Editions - Reprinted 1999) Waldman Michael (1974), Megalosaurids from the Bajocian (Middle Jurassic) of Dorset, Palaeontology, vol 17 (2), p.325-339. Details on Altispinax, Cetiosaurus, Dacentrurus, Hylaeosaurus, Lexovisaurus, Magnosaurus, Omosaurus and Pelorosaurus have come from www.Dinodata: http://www.dinodata.net/Dd/Namelist/GEO/EUROPE.htm