One of the most complete sea monsters on record had been discovered along the UK’s Jurassic Coast , being perhaps the world’s most complete reptile fossil dating back to the Pliensbachian period. The rare and impressive specimen offers unprecedented insight into a period of time we know little about, and bridges a gap in our understanding of a strange and complex faunal turnover that was occurring at the time, around 190 million years ago. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

The new-to-science species is an ichthyosaur nicknamed the “Sword Dragon of Dorset”, and its scientific name is equally impressive: Xiphodracon goldencapensis . It's estimated to have been 3 meters (9.8 feet) long in life, and was discovered by fo

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