Summary
Overview
Paleontologist Dean Lomax shares the remarkable story of discovering and excavating Britain's largest and most complete ichthyosaur fossil at Rutland Water Nature Reserve. This 180-million-year-old sea dragon, found by chance during routine maintenance, represents one of the greatest finds in British paleontological history. The talk chronicles the meticulous 14.5-day excavation process, modern techniques like photogrammetry that revolutionize the field, and the global excitement generated by this extraordinary Jurassic giant.
The Unexpected Discovery
In January 2021, Dean Lomax received an email about a curious discovery at Rutland Water Nature Reserve that would change his life. Joe Davis, a maintenance worker, had spotted unusual structures while lowering water levels in a lagoon and wondered if they could be dinosaur bones. Unlike the countless "weird shaped rock" emails Lomax typically receives, the photos immediately revealed something exceptional: large vertebrae from an ichthyosaur, an ancient marine reptile that lived 180 million years ago when Rutland was covered by a tropical sea.
- Joe Davis discovered the fossil by chance on January 21, 2021, during routine maintenance at Rutland Water Nature Reserve
- Most fossil discovery reports turn out to be weird shaped rocks, but this was different
- The vertebrae were immediately recognized as belonging to an ichthyosaur, colloquially known as a sea dragon
- Ichthyosaurs are ancient marine reptiles, not dinosaurs or swimming monsters, that lived 180 million years ago
" Ichthyosaurs are, in fact, an awesome group of ancient marine reptiles that lived in the prehistoric seas as dinosaurs reigned supreme on land. "
" I do need to clear that name up just a little bit, because I'm sorry to say they're not dragons. Sorry. They're also not swimming dinosaurs. They're not the Loch Ness Monster on tour either. "
The February Exploratory Dig
After studying ichthyosaurs for 14 years worldwide, Lomax knew the photos suggested something special. In February, he and Dr. Mark Evans conducted a mini excavation on frozen ground to assess the find. Despite the cold conditions that made the ground literally frozen beneath their feet, they meticulously removed Jurassic clay to reveal what appeared to be a gigantic skeleton unlike anything found in Britain before. However, the damp winter conditions and fragile nature of the bones meant they had to rebury the ichthyosaur under plastic sheets and wait six months for proper excavation conditions.
- Lomax spent 14 years of his professional career studying thousands of ichthyosaurs around the world
- The February exploratory dig revealed a gigantic skeleton unlike anything ever found in Britain
- The skeleton had to be reburied and covered with plastic sheets due to damp winter conditions and extreme fragility
- The nature reserve raised water levels, submerging the protected ichthyosaur until proper excavation could begin
" We were blown away because we revealed what appeared to be a gigantic skeleton unlike anything ever found in Britain before. Clearly this was a big deal. "
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