The fossilised skeleton of the dolphin-
It is the most complete skeleton of a sea-
A partnership between the University of Edinburgh, National Museums Scotland and energy company SSE has enabled the fossil to be extracted from the rock that encased it for millions of years.
The ancient reptile was around four metres in length and had a long, pointed head
filled with hundreds of cone-
The fossil was discovered in 1966 on a beach near the SSE Storr Lochs Power Station by the facility’s manager, Norrie Gillies, who died in 2011 aged 93.
It has been preserved in National Museums Scotland’s storage facility for 50 years and now, by pooling expertise, the new collaboration will enable experts to form a clearer picture of the fossil.
A team of palaeontologists from the University of Edinburgh and National Museums Scotland will carry out a detailed examination of the fossil, which belongs to an extinct family of marine reptiles – known as ichthyosaurs. The ancient animals thrived in prehistoric seas at the same time the dinosaurs were ruling the land.
The discovery will help to reveal how ichthyosaurs evolved during the Middle Jurassic Period, a part of Earth’s history that has long been shrouded in mystery owing to a lack of fossil evidence from the time.
The Isle of Skye is one of the few places in the world where fossils from the Middle Jurassic Period can be found.
Once analysis of the fossil is complete, people will have the chance to view the fossil at a number of locations, including SSE’s new visitor centre at the Pitlochry Dam, which opens in a few months’ time.
Dr Steve Brusatte, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences, said: “Ichthyosaurs like the Storr Lochs Monster ruled the waves while dinosaurs thundered across the land.
"Their bones are exceptionally rare in Scotland, which makes this specimen one of the crown jewels of Scottish fossils.
"It’s all thanks to the keen eye of an amateur collector that this remarkable fossil was ever found in the first place, which goes to show that you don’t need an advanced degree to make huge scientific discoveries.”
Dr Nick Fraser, Keeper of Natural Sciences at National Museums Scotland, said: “The Storrs Loch Monster highlights the rich fossil heritage of Skye. Collaborations between scientists at National Museums Scotland, the University of Edinburgh and elsewhere in the UK are beginning to shed new light on the Middle Jurassic of Skye – a time when dinosaurs were dominant on land but mammals were also diversifying.”
Todd Marshall
Jurassic sea monster unveiled
5 September 2016
Artist’s impression of the Storr Lochs Monster
A fierce predator that prowled the oceans 170 million years ago has been unveiled by scientists.