This in from the Isle of Wight council, in their own words. Ed
A neck vertebra of a dinosaur called Calamosaurus was found on a fossil hunt by Dave Badman at Chilton Chine.
It is the first fossil of this dinosaur to have been found since the original discovery was made nearly 140 years ago on the Island by the Reverend of Brighstone parish, William Fox. After his death in 1882, the collection of William Fox was acquired by the Natural History Museum. While the collection was being catalogued, staff at the museum recognised two unusual vertebrae in the collection, which were later named as a new species ‘Calamosaurus Foxi’. Since then, no other definite remains of this dinosaur have ever been found.
Badman: “I knew it was something different”
After finding the fossil, Dave brought the specimen to Dinosaur Isle Museum in Sandown for identification, where it is now on display.
Dave commented:
“I have looked along the beaches for a long time, searching for fossil remains, and have had a fair amount of success. However when I saw this fossil, I knew it was something different and that I had a great find.
“I took it to Dinosaur Isle straight away to get it identified. I am very pleased to donate my find to the museum so I know the specimen can help with the understanding of this elusive dinosaur.”
One of the world’s best sites for dinosaur fossil discoveries
Councillor Shirley Smart, Executive member for economy and tourism, said:
“Staff at museum are very happy to have received this donation and are looking forward to customers seeing it on display.
“This find has once again shown the Isle of Wight is one of the world’s best sites for dinosaur fossil discoveries and there is a real community spirit. I want to thank Dave for bringing the specimen to the museum and allowing it to go on display so that it can be enjoyed by visitors for years to come.”
Image: © Isle of Wight Council
