New Species of Ichthyosaur Found hiding at Doncaster Museum

The fossil found over 30 years ago was originally believed to be a plaster copy due to its state of preservation , it was put into storage until palaeontologist Dean Lomax rediscovered it and realised it was indeed a genuine 189 million year old fossil , he says the level of preservation is such that he can even determine the contents of its stomach , "So we know what its last meal was."

The specimen was found at Dorset's Jurassic Coast and handed in to the museum in the 1980s.

Mr Lomax worked with Prof Judy Massare, from the State University of New York, comparing the specimen's fossilised bones with those of almost 1,000 other ichthyosaurs in museums in the US and Europe.
Mr Lomax explained that subtle anatomical features in its fin bones set the species apart from others

This new species has now been named Ichthyosaurus anningae - in honour of Mary Anning, the British fossil-hunter who discovered the first ichthyosaur on the Dorset coast in about 1811.
The hope now is that news about the significance of this ancient specimen might help track down the fossil hunter who found it.
Dr Stephen Brusatte, a palaeontologist from the University of Edinburgh added that there was "a whole lot more still to find out there".
www.bbc.co.uk...

What is it with all these "discoveries" at museums? Sounds to me like they need to take a year or two, and just go through their warehouses and closets.
Who knows what other cool things they have "just thrown in the closet, collecting dust"

a reply to: chiefsmom

Yea for sure and those butt holes at the Smithsonian should come off the giant skeletons they've got stashed.

Here's a video of the ichthyosaur and interview with Dean Lomax on his discovery.