Skull fragments reveal new ancient crocodile species
Two fossilised skull fragments from a 2ft (60cm) crocodile found on the Isle of Wight point to the discovery of a new ancient species, a study has found.
The pieces - a snout and back part of the skull - were found by different private collectors three months apart.
Experts at the Dinosaur Isle museum near Sandown found the 126 million-year-old fragments "fitted together perfectly to make a complete skull".
The species has been named Koumpiodontosuchus aprosdokiti.
The name - meaning "unexpected button-toothed crocodile" - was given by University of Portsmouth palaeontologist Dr Steve Sweetman, who has published a paper on the discovery in the journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica.
11 Mar 2014
- From the section Hampshire & Isle of Wight