Science
Museum fossil reveals a new dinosaur species from the Isle of Wight
A newly published study identifies a megaraptoran dinosaur from a partial braincase acquired by the Natural History Museum in 1924.
By NewsCubby Editorial Desk · Published
A fossil kept at London’s Natural History Museum since 1924 has been identified as a new dinosaur species. In an October 14 study, Cassius Morrison and colleagues describe Invictibellatrix amberina from a partial braincase found on the Isle of Wight.
A new identification of an old specimen
The animal lived roughly 120 million years ago, during the Early Cretaceous. The museum describes it as the first European member of the megaraptoran group of two-legged meat-eating dinosaurs. This is a newly published identification, not a dinosaur bone excavated today.
How researchers reached the conclusion
The team used CT scans and comparisons with other dinosaur skulls. Their paper reports a distinctive combination of braincase features and analyses placing the fossil among early megaraptorans. Estimates of its overall size come from comparisons with relatives; the specimen is not a complete skeleton.
The finding adds evidence about the group’s presence in Europe and shows why researchers revisit museum collections. Broader reconstructions of its appearance and behaviour remain interpretations, rather than direct observations of a living animal.
Photo credit: Morrison and colleagues, actual holotype NHMUK PV R6775, published October 14, 2026. The social graphic crops panel B of the study figure and adds an original NewsCubby headline layout. Photograph and adaptation licensed CC BY 4.0. No AI-generated dinosaur image is used.