The reptile, identified as a previously undocumented species, lived in Scotland about 170 million years ago

Jan 13, 2015 08:53 GMT  ·  By

The Loch Ness monster may or may not be pure fiction, but as it turns out, Scotland is no stranger to scary-looking water creatures. On the contrary, it was populated by about an army's worth of bizarre sea dwellers in its younger years.

Thus, paleontologists with the University of Edinburgh and fellow researchers say that, during the Jurassic era, Scotland's shallow seas were inhabited by some seriously vicious marine reptiles that somewhat resembled modern-day dolphins.

The reptiles represent a previously undocumented species

In a paper in the Scottish Journal of Geology, the University of Edinburgh researchers and their colleagues say that they discovered the reptiles, which represent a previously unknown species, while analyzing fossil remains unearthed over the past 50 years.

Based on the fossilized skulls, teeth, vertebrae and other bones that they closely examined during their investigation, they determined that the dolphin-like sea dwellers measured about 14 feet (roughly 4.2 meters) in length.

The new species, now known as Dearcmhara shawcrossi, is said to have lived about 170 million years ago. It chiefly ate fish and other reptiles unlucky enough to cross paths with it. In fact, paleontologists suspect that it was near the top of the food chain.

It is understood that this species of marine mammals is unique to Scotland. Thus, fossil remains left behind by Dearcmhara shawcrossi specimens have until now only been discovered on the Isle of Skye, in the Bearreraig Bay.

“During the time of dinosaurs, the waters of Scotland were prowled by big reptiles the size of motor boats. Their fossils are very rare, and only now, for the first time we've found a new species that was uniquely Scottish,” said researcher Steve Brusatte, as cited by Phys Org.

The species could have easily remained undiscovered

Scientist Steve Brusatte and colleagues say that the fossilized remains that led to the discovery of this new species were unearthed back in 1959 by an amateur paleontologist named Brian Shawcross, who eventually agreed to donate them to local museums.

Had Brian Shawcross chosen to keep them for himself or sell them, chances are that paleontologists would have remained oblivious to the fact that, during the Jurassic era, Scotland was home to this species of marine reptiles that was unique to the shallow seas around its coastline.

As researcher Steve Brusatte put it, “Without the generosity of the collector who donated the bones to a museum instead of keeping them or selling them, we would have never known that this amazing animal existed.”