New Dinosaur Species That Once Sported Spiked Armor Discovered on Isle of Wight

The newly identified dinosaur belongs to the ankylosaur group, known for being plant-eaters. These remains were discovered in the 1980s on the island's Wessex formation, a geological feature dating back to between 145 million and 66 million years ago.

A new species of dinosaur that once sported spiked armor has been identified by researchers after a thorough analysis was conducted on fossilized remains found on the Isle of Wight, officials have revealed.

After thorough analysis confirmed that it was a previously unknown species, it was named Vectipelta barretti in honor of professor Paul Barrett, the head of fossil vertebrates at London's Natural History Museum (NHM).

This discovery marks the second armored dinosaur found on the Isle of Wight, with the first being Polacanthus foxii, which was unearthed in 1865. The new species, V. barretti, differs from its predecessor in terms of its neck and back bones. Moreover, both species exhibit distinct pelvic structures, with V. barretti possessing a more blade-like and spiked armor.

Barrett expressed his delight and gratitude for being recognized in this manner, particularly as his first-ever research paper was also on an armored dinosaur within the NHM collections.

"I’m flattered and absolutely delighted to have been recognised in this way, not least as the first paper I ever wrote was also on an armoured dinosaur in the NHM collections. I’m sure that any physical resemblance is purely accidental," said Barrett.

Dr. Susannah Maidment, a study co-author, explained that when the remains were initially discovered in the 1980s, they were assumed to be from the same species as the 19th-century find on the island. However, further analysis revealed significant differences between the two, leading to the conclusion that V. barretti is a distinct and previously unknown species.

The researchers also highlighted the immense importance of rocks from the Wessex formation and the Isle of Wight in enhancing our knowledge of dinosaur extinction.

Surprisingly, despite both ankylosaurs originating from the same island, the researchers discovered that they were not closely related.

V. barretti was found to be most closely related to some Chinese ankylosaurs, indicating that these dinosaurs freely migrated between Asia and Europe during the Early Cretaceous period, approximately 145 million years ago.

"This is an important specimen because it sheds light on ankylosaur diversity within the Wessex formation and early cretaceous England," said Stuart Pond, a researcher at the NHM department of Earth sciences.

The findings of this study were published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.