British Plumber Stumbles Upon Mysterious ‘Sea Dragon’ Fossil That Could Rewrite Dinosaur History
What’s the odds that a plumber—yes, a plumber—stumbled upon a brand spanking new species of prehistoric sea dragon? I mean, you’d expect a fossil hunter to be a suited-up academic or some Indiana Jones type, right? Nope. Steve Etches, while casually poking around the beaches of Dorset, actually unearthed Thalassodraco etchesi—a Jurassic ichthyosaur with bug eyes and a ribcage built for deep-sea diving that even your average ichthyosaur wouldn’t mess with. It’s small, fierce, and apparently so unique it earned its own genus and carries Etches’ name, turning this plumber into a bona fide paleontological rock star. So, what other ancient secrets might be hiding in plain sight while we’re busy underestimating the world’s amateur treasure hunters? Dive into this fascinating tale of discovery and see how the Late Jurassic seas just got a little more interesting. LEARN MORE
“I’m very pleased that this ichthyosaur has been found to be new to science, and I’m very honoured for it to be named after me.”
Megan JacobsAn artist’s rendition of Thalassodraco etchesi which lived during the Mezoic era 150 million years ago.
After years of examining a bounty of bones discovered by an amateur fossil hunter on a beach in England, paleontologists have concluded that the fossils belonged to a previously unknown species of dinosaur.
According to Smithsonian Magazine, the newly uncovered species was found by Steve Etches, a professional plumber who moonlights as an amateur fossil hunter, while scouring the beaches of Kimmeridge Bay in Dorset.
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