A recently discovered prehistoric animal that could be the biggest marine reptile ever found, has been discovered on an island in Somerset, UK.
The creature was named Ichthyotitan severnensis, meaning to "giant fish lizard from the Severn,' this huge ichthyosaur was estimated to be of 25 m (82 feet) in length, which is comparable to the size of blue whales, and eclipsing the size of the massive megalodon, which measured 15 and 20 meters.
The important discovery was made with the discovery of huge jawbone that was more than two meters long (6.6 feet) which suggests a strong bite that is comparable to a megalodon. It is also far more powerful than the bite of the Tyrannosaurus Rex jawbone that measured 1.6 feet.
The jawbone, as well as another one discovered by the team of researchers is part of an animal species that dates back 200 million years back to the end of the Triassic period, shortly before an event of mass extinction.
The jawbone that was discovered in the year 2016, however the discovery of a new, more complete and well-preserved jawbone has enthralled scientists, increasing their hopes of finding an entirely new species.
The researcher Dr. Dean Lomax, a paleontologist at the University of Manchester, expressed excitement over the discovery by pointing out the unique form and shape of the bones, which are known as surangulars.
The search for the surangular included an important discovery by an 11-year old girl named Ruby Reynolds in 2020, who along with her father, came on the new surangular.
The ongoing efforts of the two resulted in the discovery of more pieces, which culminated in the finalization of the jawbone, which was completed in the year 2022.