After 50 years hidden in museum storage, a sea monster has been unearthed in Scotland known as the Storr Lochs Monster.
Could this be the Loch Ness Monster? Not quite, as this newly revealed prehistoric creature is officially classified as an ichthyosaur, which is a massive marine reptile that ruled the seas the same time dinosaurs walked the earth. Their size can also reach up to as big as modern day whales.
This particular museum fossil however, is not that gigantic, but scientists consider this as a scientific gem. Dated from 170 million years ago, this fossil belonged to a majestic swimming reptile during the Middle Jurassic period, sparking curiosity in paleontologists.
According to Steve Brusatte from the University of Edinburgh, this period is probably the most poorly studied ones in dinosaur history and evolution. The ichthyosaur is also a very mysterious creature that can provide new clues about this ancient time.
This fossil was first discovered by Norrie Gillies who maintains a power station on the Isle of Skye, in 1966. Gillies noticed some bones protruding from a rock during a stroll. According to his son, Allan Gillies, his father was keen on collecting smaller fossils but recognized this as different from the rest.
The family took this fossil to a storage facility now known as the National Museums Scotland however, it was covered in solid rock, harder than concrete that requires a skilled team to extract it altogether.
Allan Gillies contacted the University of Edinburgh team, where they removed the solid rock enshrouding the fossil, revealing an ancient creature similar to a bottle nosed dolphin.
Brusatte says that the son is crucial in fund raising this research where the creature was revealed to the public on Monday.
To date, the team of scientists are still analyzing what species this ichthyosaur belongs to. Brusatte believes that this ancient animal might have hunted fish and squid like other ichthyosaurs, which also possesses teeth by the hundreds and gigantic eyes to see better in ocean depths.