New Jurassic-Era 'Sword Dragon' Discovered In England May Solve Ancient Evolutionary Mystery

A rare prehistoric marine reptile has been identified, offering new insight into a fascinating and pivotal chapter of the Jurassic era.

The fossil, discovered along the United Kingdom’s iconic Jurassic Coast, represents a new and rare species of ichthyosaur described in a study published on October 10. The find could reveal important clues about how these creatures evolved and lived.

Ichthyosaurs were once the top predators of the ancient seas—large, fast, and perfectly adapted to life underwater. Their dominance in the ocean lasted for millions of years during the Mesozoic era.

Much like modern dolphins in shape and behavior, this newly identified ichthyosaur—named Xiphodracon goldencapsis or the Sword Dragon of Dorset—stands apart as the only known fossil of its kind. Its discovery could fill a major gap in the evolutionary record of these ancient marine reptiles.

According to the study published in the journal Papers in Palaeontology, the fossil dates back roughly 190 million years to the Early Jurassic period.

Although thousands of ichthyosaur fossils have been found along the British coast, this one is unique. It displays several anatomical features never before documented in other ichthyosaur species, highlighting its distinct place in evolutionary history.

The species is known as Xiphodracon Dean Lomax

Researchers determined that Xiphodracon goldencapsis lived during the Pliensbachian stage, between 193 and 184 million years ago—placing it near the later part of the Early Jurassic.

The fossil was originally discovered in 2001 at Golden Cap, Dorset, by local fossil collector Chris Moore. Remarkably, the skeleton was almost perfectly preserved in three dimensions, making it one of the most complete ichthyosaur specimens ever found.

Among the bones, scientists noted a large skull with a strikingly big eye socket and a long, narrow, sword-like snout. The fossilized remains even revealed traces of its last meal, showing what the animal had eaten shortly before it died.

Experts believe the creature measured about 10 feet long and likely fed on soft-bodied prey such as squid and fish.

After unearthing the specimen, Chris Moore later sold it to the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada, where it was displayed for several years before being reexamined by a group of paleontologists in 2024.

The study was led by ichthyosaur specialist Dr. Dean Lomax, an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Manchester, who collaborated with a team of international researchers to analyze the fossil in detail.

During their examination, the scientists identified several never-before-seen characteristics in Xiphodracon. The most notable feature was around the nostril area, where the bone structure displayed unusual prong-like formations not found in other ichthyosaurs.

This distinctive trait set the fossil apart and helped confirm that it represented a completely new species within the ichthyosaur lineage.

It could solve an evolutionary mystery Dean Lomax, Judy Massare, and Erin Maxwell

Dr. Lomax explained that the name of the species reflects these unique features—‘xipho’ comes from the Greek word for sword, while ‘dracon’ is derived from Greek and Latin meaning dragon.

These discoveries helped scientists place this species more accurately within the ichthyosaur family tree, revealing that significant evolutionary shifts in the group occurred far earlier than previously believed.

Dr. Lomax said: "I remember seeing the skeleton for the first time in 2016. Back then, I knew it was unusual, but I did not expect it to play such a pivotal role in helping to fill a gap in our understanding of a complex faunal turnover during the Pliensbachian."

He went on to explain that during this period, “several families went extinct and new families emerged.”

According to him, Xiphodracon might be seen as a missing link in the ichthyosaur timeline—a key species showing that evolutionary changes in their body structure began long before scientists had thought.

Ichthyosaur expert and co-author Professor Judy Massare from the State University of New York at Brockport added that there was “clearly a major change in species diversity” during the Pliensbachian period, with older families dying out and new ones appearing. She explained that “Xiphodracon helps to determine when the change occurred, but we still don't know why.”

It's a fearsome-looking thing Dean Lomax

Co-author Dr. Erin Maxwell, an ichthyosaur researcher from the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart, added: "This skeleton provides critical information for understanding ichthyosaur evolution, but also contributes to our understanding of what life must have been like in the Jurassic seas of Britain."

"The limb bones and teeth are malformed in such a way that points to serious injury or disease while the animal was still alive, and the skull appears to have been bitten by a large predator - likely another much larger species of ichthyosaur- giving us a cause of death for this individual. Life in the Mesozoic oceans was a dangerous prospect."