‘Shark with legs’ dinosaur found in UK could be ‘Europe’s largest ever predator’

A dinosaur found on the Isle of Wight is said to be the largest land predator to have ever roamed Europe, scientists claim.

Experts reckon the creature, which thankfully no longer roams the streets of Europe, was a cross between a T-Rex and a great white shark and measured over 33 feet long.

The terrifying creature, which is said to have weighed more than five tonnes, also had a setlist of horrifying features including razor-sharp teeth, crocodile face and a whip-like tail.

Fossilised bones of the horror beast including a large pelvic and tail vertebrae were among a number of pieces discovered recently.

Discoveries and analysis indicate the animal had short arms like a T-Rex and was a member of the spinosaurids category, meaning it was part of first group of dinosaurs able to swim.

Chris Baker, a palaeontology student from the University of Southampton, said that the beast was a killer of immense proportions.

He said: "This was a huge animal, exceeding 10 metres (33ft) in length, and judging from some of the dimensions, probably represents the largest predatory dinosaur ever found in Europe.

"It is just a shame it is only known from such scant material."

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An unofficial name has been given to the horrifying finding, the 'White Rock spinosaurid' after the geological layer it was found in.

Jeremy Lockwood, a PhD student at the University of Portsmouth, said: "Most of these amazing fossils were found by Nick Chase, one of Britain's most skilled dinosaur hunters, who sadly died just before the Covid epidemic.

"I was searching for remains of this dinosaur with Nick and found a lump of pelvis with tunnels bored into it, each about the size of my index finger.

"We think they were caused by bone eating larvae of a type of scavenging beetle. It is an interesting thought that this giant killer wound up becoming a meal for a host of giant insects."

The Isle of Wight has since been dubbed 'Dinosaur Island' after more dinosaur bones were dug up there than anywhere else in Europe.

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