A massive win for UK paleontology just dropped! Meet Comptonatus chasei, the “Compton Thunderer.” With a growing number of recent discoveries found in Britain lately, this Early Cretaceous star is the one of the most complete dinosaur skeletons found in Britain in over a century!
Found on the Isle of Wight, this bison-sized herbivore roamed 125 million years ago. With 149 bones recovered, it’s shaking up our understanding of how diverse European dinosaurs really were.
New UK Dino Alert: Comptonatus chasei!
The Discovery: Found by the late Nick Chase in 2013; officially named in July 2024.
The Stats: A one-ton ornithopod (think “Cretaceous cattle”) from the Early Cretaceous.
The Significance: The most complete specimen found in Britain since 1923!
The Location: The famous Wessex Formation, Isle of Wight.
Exciting times for dinosaur enthusiasts! Researchers from the University of Portsmouth and the Natural History Museum have finally unveiled Comptonatus chasei. This find is a big deal because it proves that even in well-trodden fossil beds, there are still incredible, near-complete skeletons waiting to be found.
Comptonatus was a medium-sized herbivore that belongs to the iguanodontian group (relatives of Iguanodon) with a robust build, perfectly adapted for the lush, forested environments of ancient Britain. The specimen helps clarify variation within medium-sized herbivores, which are often fragmentary in Europe. Its discovery challenges the idea that European dinosaur diversity was low during this period, showing instead that the Isle of Wight was a thriving prehistoric hotspot! The Isle of Wight is often called the “dinosaur capital of the UK” due to its rich fossil record.
For more details, check out the UK Natural History Museum’s post!
