Scientists have found the biggest sea reptile ever known. This huge creature lived about 202 million years ago and was longer than two buses put together. In 2016, a fossil hunter found the fossilized jawbone of this reptile on a beach in Somerset, UK. Then, in 2020, another jawbone was found by a dad and his daughter. Experts think these fossils belong to two giant ichthyosaurs, which could have been as long as 25 meters. That's even bigger than a pliosaur, which was featured in a David Attenborough documentary.

Dr. Dean Lomax, a scientist who studies fossils, says that the size of the jawbones suggests that the whole animal would have been about 25 meters long, which is about the same size as a blue whale. But we need more evidence, like a complete skull and skeleton, to know for sure. So far, we've only found a few pieces. The giant ichthyosaur died out a long time ago, and the ones that came after it were never as big.

In 2016, a guy named Paul de la Salle found the first jawbone while he was looking for fossils on a beach in Somerset. He showed it to Dr. Dean Lomax, and they thought it might be something important. They published their findings in 2018, but they wanted more evidence to figure out how big the creature was. Then, in 2020, a dad and his daughter found another jawbone 10 kilometers away, which confirmed their suspicions.

The team, along with their family members, kept searching for more pieces of the second jawbone. They found the last piece in 2022. This helped them estimate the size of the creature. The scientists have now decided that this huge animal is a new kind of ichthyosaur. They named it Ichthyotitan severnensis, which means "giant fish lizard of the Severn." The jawbone found by Paul de la Salle has been studied for three years and will soon be shown at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery.

This discovery shows how important it is to have amateur fossil collectors. Dr. Dean Lomax says that anyone, no matter how much they know about fossils, can make amazing discoveries if they're patient and observant. He thinks that families and individuals from all different backgrounds can help scientists learn more about paleontology.

Original news source: Prehistoric sea reptile 'twice as long as bus' (BBC)

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Scientists have found the biggest sea reptile ever known. This huge ? lived about 202 million years ago and was longer than two buses put together. In 2016, a fossil hunter found the fossilized jawbone of this reptile on a beach in Somerset, UK. Then, in 2020, another jawbone was found by a dad and his daughter. Experts ? these fossils belong to two giant ichthyosaurs, which could have been as long as 25 meters. That's even ? than a pliosaur, which was featured in a David Attenborough documentary. Dr. Dean Lomax, a ? who studies fossils, says that the size of the ?s suggests that the whole animal would have been about 25 meters long, which is about the same size as a blue whale. But we need more evidence, like a complete ? and skeleton, to know for sure. So far, we've only found a few pieces. The giant ichthyosaur died out a long time ago, and the ones that came after it were never as big. In 2016, a guy named Paul de la Salle found the first jawbone while he was looking for fossils on a beach in Somerset. He ? it to Dr. Dean Lomax, and they thought it might be something important. They published their findings in 2018, but they wanted more evidence to figure out how big the creature was. Then, in 2020, a dad and his ? ? another jawbone 10 kilometers away, which confirmed their suspicions. The team, along with their family members, kept searching for more pieces of the second jawbone. They found the last piece in 2022. This ? them estimate the size of the creature. The scientists have now decided that this huge animal is a new kind of ichthyosaur. They ? it Ichthyotitan severnensis, which means "giant fish lizard of the Severn." The jawbone found by Paul de la ? has been studied for three years and will soon be shown at the ? Museum and Art ?. This discovery shows how important it is to have amateur fossil collectors. Dr. Dean ? says that anyone, no matter how much they know about fossils, can make amazing discoveries if they're patient and observant. He thinks that families and individuals from all different backgrounds can help scientists learn more about paleontology.

1. What is a fossil?
2. How do scientists know how big the sea reptile was?
3. How would you feel if you found a fossil on a beach?
4. Do you think it's important to have amateur fossil collectors? Why or why not?
5. Why do you think the scientists named the new kind of ichthyosaur "Ichthyotitan severnensis"?
6. Do you like learning about dinosaurs and prehistoric animals? Why or why not?
7. What do you think it would be like to see a complete skeleton of the giant ichthyosaur?
8. How do you think the giant ichthyosaur became extinct?
9. Why do you think the scientists needed more evidence to confirm the size of the creature?
10. Have you ever found something interesting or valuable? What was it?
11. Do you think it's important for families and individuals to contribute to scientific research? Why or why not?
12. How do you think the discovery of the giant ichthyosaur will contribute to our understanding of paleontology?
13. Would you like to study fossils and prehistoric animals? Why or why not?
14. What do you think it takes to be a successful fossil hunter?
15. Why do you think the scientists want to show the jawbone at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery?

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