A fossil collector has discovered a perfectly preserved part of the spine of a dinosaur that lived on Earth 180 million years ago.
Joe Thompson was searching a quarry near the Cotswolds when he found three vertebrae of an Ophthalmosaurus Ichthyosaurus in pristine condition.
The dolphin-like creature used to do swim the seas of North America and Europe during the Jurassic period.
The prehistoric beast, which is Greek for “eye lizard” and weighed up to two tons, died out about 145 million years ago.
Joe, 20, of Lymington, Hampshire, came across the rare find during one of his frequent searches of the area and knew right away that he had found something special.
Speaking of the discovery, he said: ‘I regularly go fossil hunting across the country in various locations and I found this in a large quarry just north of Swindon in the Cotswolds.
‘I walked around the edge to see where the big trucks would have gone.
“I walked by and found these three beautiful Opthalmosaurus vertebrae that I captured on video.
“What’s special about them is that they’re really well preserved compared to a lot of other things you can get.
“I knew right away it was a marine reptile and an ichthyosaur, but I didn’t know what kind.”
After packing it with him, Joe checked his discovery with experts who could identify the fossil.
Joe, who studies paleontology and evolution at the University of Bristol, admitted it was quite a surprise to find the remains in such good condition.
He said: “This type of vertebrae can be found in certain places in the UK, but to find them so well preserved and of such high quality is very rare.
‘I keep many of my fossils in a collection on display, but there are a few that I’ve found that are quite scientifically important and are currently in museums.
“I have a few contacts at the university where I study, so I gave them ID there, which is great.”
Joe, who goes on a search at least once a week, has become a social media minister since he began sharing his findings with the fossil community last year.
He started collecting as a small child and now regularly updates his TikTok followers about rare discoveries.
He added: “I’ve been interested in the hobby since I was about four or five years old when my parents took me to the beach and I’ve been completely interested in it ever since.
“It’s so exciting when you find something so old and interesting that no one has ever seen before, it’s amazing for me.
“It’s great to share it with people on social media. The whole community around it is great and they love what I do.”
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