Loch Ness monster's ancestor? Early Scots reptile identified

[Buster's Uncle]

Loch Ness monster's ancestor? Early Scots reptile identified
AFP  3 hours ago



An artist's impression of a marine reptile that lived 170 million ago named Dearcmhara shawcrossi, released on January 11, 2015 (AFP Photo/Todd Marshall)



London (AFP) - A giant prehistoric reptile that patrolled the waters off Scotland 170 million years ago has been identified by scientists, they said Monday.

The creatures, which resembled a menacing dolphin and grew up to 14 foot (four metres) long, were identified by fossils from the Isle of Skye in northwest Scotland.

A team led by Edinburgh University scientists have named the new species Dearcmhara shawcrossi in honour of Brian Shawcross, an amateur fossil collector who gathered many of the fossils in 1959.

These were later donated to a museum, allowing scientists to study them and identify the new species.

"During the time of dinosaurs, the waters of Scotland were prowled by big reptiles the size of motor boats," said Steve Brusatte of Edinburgh University's School of GeoSciences.

"Their fossils are very rare and only now, for the first time, we've found a new species that was uniquely Scottish."

Scotland's most famous reptile, real or imaginary, is the Loch Ness monster, the myth of which draws thousands of visitors a year to Loch Ness in northern Scotland.


http://news.yahoo.com/loch-ness-monsters-ancestor-early-scots-reptile-identified-195959082.html

[Unorthodox]

Tried to post earlier and it wouldn't let me. 

Heard this on the radio on my drive in this morning. 

"Dinosaurs don't live in oceans so it's not a dinosaur. It's just a reptile that lived at the time of the dinosaurs."

Whatever dude, it's a dinosaur.

di·no·saur
ˈdīnəˌsôr/Submit
noun
1. a fossil reptile of the Mesozoic era, often reaching an enormous size.

[Buster's Uncle]

You expected radio morning men to get science right?

Really?

[Unorthodox]

No, they were interviewing the scientist dude, he was adamant it's not a dino. 

Might have even been live broadcast of the announcement...time's about right for my morning drive to line up with such a thing in Scotland.   

(yes, I listen to odd stations)