10/12/2025

New Species of Jurassic-era 'Sword Dragon' Marine Reptile Discovered

The rare species of prehistoric predator was found in southern England

A new species of ancient "sword dragon" marine reptile has been discovered in a set of fossils found in England, according to researchers.

Named Xiphodracon goldencapsis, the new species is an ichthyosaur -- an order of large extinct marine reptiles -- that lived during the Early Jurassic era about 190 million years ago, according to a study published in the journal Papers in Palaeontology on Thursday.

The fossils were found by professional fossil collector Chris Moore in 2001 in the Golden Cap of Charmouth, a region along the English Channel known for the "Jurassic Coast," a World Heritage Site known for its abundance of fossils, Judy Massare, a Professor Emerita of Geology at SUNY Brockport and co-author of the paper, told ABC News.

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