Istiorachis macarthurae likely used its unique sail to attract mates or intimidate other dinosaurs.

A fossil that was found on the Isle of Wight nearly 50 years ago has just been identified as a previously unknown dinosaur — and it had a particularly unique feature.

Istiorachis macarthurae , which lived 125 million years ago, had a massive sail down its spine that likely aided with muscle attachment or was used to attract mates. Because of this, the dinosaur was named after Dame Ellen MacArthur, who became the fastest person to sail around the world nonstop in 2005.

The Dinosaur’s Unique Sail Set It Apart

The remains of Istiorachis macarthurae were first uncovered by fossil hunter Nick Chase in the 1970s. At the time, paleontologists believed the bones belonged to one of the two kn

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