New Cretaceous Megaraptoran Dinosaur Discovered on Isle of Wight After 100 Years

A partial braincase from the Lower Cretaceous Wessex Formation on England’s Isle of Wight has been identified as a new species of megaraptoran dinosaur, named Invictibellatrix amberina. The fossil, acquired by the Natural History Museum in 1924 and left unstudied for a century, was examined with CT scans and compared to other theropods. The researchers found the skull most similar to the Argentinian megaraptoran Murusraptor, suggesting that Invictibellatrix belongs to the Megaraptora clade. If confirmed, it would be the first megaraptoran found in Europe, filling a geographic gap in the group’s distribution. The new species is estimated to have been a 3‑4 m long, 200‑300 kg predator, likely feathered and armed with 10‑20 cm claws. The discovery hints at a dispersal route from Asia to Europe around 130 million years ago, linking later megaraptorans across the globe.