new marine reptile identified

New species of marine reptile identified from Skye fossils

A new species of marine reptile that lived about 170 million years ago has been identified from fossils found on the Isle of Skye. Measuring 14ft (4.2m) from snout to tail, it hunted fish and other reptiles in warm shallow seas around Scotland during the Jurassic Period. Palaeontologists said they had given it a Gaelic name, Dearcmhara, to reflect its connection with the Hebrides. Work to identify it was led by the University of Edinburgh and museums. A team of palaeontologists studied fossil fragments of skulls, teeth, vertebrae and an upper arm bone unearthed on Skye over the past 50 years. 

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