Doncaster Dinosaur Discovery

A new species of dinosaur's been discovered on display in Doncaster. Fizzy the Fossil's been on show at the town museum for years - but a new investigation's found it's not quite what the experts believed it was.

Local palaeontologist Dean Lomax has teamed up with world renowned expert, and marine reptile specialise Professor Judy Massare to find out more about Fizzy after he raised doubts about the fossil. Fizzy was compared with other ichtyosaurs from across the UK and America and given a thorough investigation - they've today published an article in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology - which reveals Fizzy is in fact a whole new species. The new species has been named Ichthyosaurus anningae in honour of the British collector, and woman in science, Mary Anning, who first collected ichthyosaurs in the early 1800’s. It is the first new Ichthyosaurus identified for almost 130 years. Dean Lomax said: "Mary worked tirelessly to bring the ichthyosaurs, among other fossils, to the attention of the scientific world. Mary and her brother, Joseph, discovered the first ichthyosaur specimen to be scientifically recognised, collected at Lyme Regis around 1811. "It is an honour to name a new species, but to name it after somebody who is intertwined with such an important role in helping to sculpt the science of palaeontology, especially in Britain, is something that I’m very proud of. In fact, one of the specimens in our study was even found by Mary herself! Science is awesome. "This discovery shows that new species, and not only ichthyosaurs, are awaiting discovery in museum collections. Not all new discoveries are made in the field." Ichthyosaurs are not swimming dinosaurs, although often mistaken for them, and the largest ichthyosaurs may have grown to around 23m (75 ft). Fizzy was originally found in the late 70s on Dorest's Jurassic Coast.