Chris Moore discovered and excavated this complete ichthyosaur in September 2024, getting special permission from the landowners to extract this large find. This find is so recent that parts of it are still being prepared by Nic Reast before joining the skull, paddles and tail here at the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre in the near future. Make sure to check back in to see how this ichthyosaur is coming along and don’t forget to check out our naming competition for May!
The parts that have been revealed so far suggest that this may be a brand new species of ichthyosaur, not yet scientifically described.
In March 2025, Steve Dey from ThinkSee3D joined Chris at the Centre to scan this unusual skull using photogrammetry. ThinkSee3D then converted all of the data from these images into a 3D model that can be viewed up-close and from every angle to show off this truly unique skull! Find out more about them and what they do on their website.
With a bizarre overbite, the lower jaw is significantly smaller than the upper jaw unlike any other ichthyosaur. Analysis of the tip suggests this was the case in life and not that it broke once the animal had died, but whether this was a result of injury, disease or the norm for this ichthyosaur is yet to be determined.
The hind paddles also have a strange feature, the leading edge of the front paddle digits are notched. This is unusual for the ichthyosaurs we find along the Jurassic Coast and is thought to have been an attachment surface for ligaments to aid in swimming.
