A remarkable new dinosaur species has been identified from a fossil discovered on the Isle of Wight. The dinosaur, named Invictibellatrix amberina, was a formidable predator that lived approximately 120 million years ago (Early Cretaceous). Researchers from University College London (UCL) led the study, which has been published in the scientific journal “Royal Society Open Science”. This new Isle of Wight dinosaur belonged to a mysterious group of carnivorous theropods called the Megaraptora. Significantly, it represents the first evidence of these theropod dinosaurs in Europe.

The new theropod dinosaur, Invictibellatrix amberina (centre of the image), in its ecosystem on the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom in the Early Cretaceous (around 120 million years ago). It lived in what was likely a seasonally wet-to-dry floodplain environment and is surrounded by other dinosaurs including large, long-necked rebbachisaurid sauropods (directly behind Invictibellatrix, centre) and relatives of Iguanodon (right). A spinosaurid theropod, potentially the apex predator of the time, fishes (left). Invictibellatrix has just caught and is consuming two small mammals. Gymnosperms dominate the environment as flowering plants (angiosperms) were not common at this time. Other reptiles including relatives to modern lizards, crocodiles and turtles enjoy the warm Early Cretaceous weather of the UK. Picture credit: Sergey Krasovskiy and Pedro Salas.

Picture credit: Sergey Krasovskiy and Pedro Salas

Invictibellatrix amberina – A Fearsome Cretaceous Predator

The newly described dinosaur was approximately three to four metres long. It stood around 1.5 metres tall and was roughly comparable in size to a large tiger. Although relatively small compared to later megaraptorans, it would have been a dangerous predator.

Megaraptorans were predominantly two-legged carnivorous dinosaurs. Unlike tyrannosaurids, which evolved massive skulls and powerful jaws, megaraptorans possessed relatively slender heads. Their forelimbs were equipped with enormous, curved claws that probably played an important role in capturing and subduing prey.

A typical Late Cretaceous megaraptoran theropod.  This is a model of Megaraptor (M. namunhuaiquii) from Argentina.  Note the slender jaws and the long, forelimbs with powerful, grasping claws. This is the red/brown coloured Megaraptor model from Haolonggood (Duan Jing Zhu).

To view the range of Haolonggood prehistoric animal models in stock: Haolonggood Prehistoric Animal Models.

The researchers suggest that Invictibellatrix may have possessed feathers. Furthermore, its hand claws could have measured between ten and twenty centimetres in length. It probably hunted smaller dinosaurs, lizards and mammals. However, the precise diet of this Early Cretaceous predator remains unknown.

Lead author Dr Cassius Morrison (UCL Earth Sciences) compared its ecological role to that of a modern hyena. Although formidable, Invictibellatrix was probably not the apex predator within its ecosystem.

A New Isle of Wight Dinosaur Fossil Overlooked for a Century

Remarkably, the fossil was discovered more than a hundred years ago. Amateur palaeontologist Reginald Walter Hooley collected the specimen from the south-western coast of the Isle of Wight. Following Hooley’s death, the Natural History Museum acquired more than a thousand specimens from his collection in 1924. Among them was a fragment of the rear portion of a dinosaur skull.

For decades, this scientifically important fossil remained largely overlooked.

Anterior (left) and posterior (right) views of the newly identified megaraptoran theropod dinosaur fossil leading to the erection of a new species – Invictibellatrix amberina. The oval hole is where the brain would have been. The fossil was acquired by the Natural History Museum in 1924. Note, scale bar equals 5 cm. Picture credit: The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London.

Picture credit: The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London

The scientists used computed tomography (CT) scanning to examine the fossil. This technique enabled them to create three-dimensional digital reconstructions of the preserved skull bones and the internal braincase cavity. Subsequently, the research team compared these structures with those of other predatory dinosaurs. These included tyrannosaurs, spinosaurids and various other theropods.

Several distinctive anatomical features were identified. For example, the opening through which the spinal cord entered the braincase was oval-shaped. In addition, the fossil possessed an unusual hourglass-shaped crest.

These characteristics, together with the results of computational evolutionary analyses, supported the identification of a new megaraptoran species.

The First Megaraptoran Dinosaur Discovered in Europe

The discovery of Invictibellatrix amberina (pronounced In-vik-tee-bel-ah-tricks am-ber-ree-nah) could help resolve a long-standing mystery concerning megaraptoran evolution. Previously, scientists had identified megaraptoran fossils in regions including Asia, South America and Australia. However, definitive evidence of their presence in Europe had remained elusive. Researchers have proposed that megaraptorans originated in Asia before dispersing through Europe into the southern supercontinent of Gondwana.

The Isle of Wight fossil provides important evidence supporting this hypothesis.

Dr Cassius Morrison (University College London) with the braincase fossil. Picture credit: The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London.

Picture credit: The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London

The scientists also used mathematical modelling to investigate the geographical distribution of megaraptorans through geological time. Their results suggest that these dinosaurs were widespread during the Early Cretaceous. However, their distribution subsequently changed. By the Late Cretaceous, megaraptorans appear to have disappeared from the northern landmass of Laurasia. Meanwhile, some lineages evolved into gigantic apex predators across Gondwana. For example, Megaraptor namunhuaiquii from the Late Cretaceous of Argentina.

Some of the largest megaraptorans possessed formidable hand claws measuring approximately thirty-five centimetres long.  In addition, megaraptorans such as Maip macrothorax may have grown to nine to ten metres in length, matching some tyrannosaurs and the largest allosaurs in size.

A 1:40 scale replica of the giant, South American megaraptor Maip macrothorax. The CollectA Deluxe Maip macrothorax model measures 26 cm in length.

The image above shows the CollectA Deluxe 1:40 scale replica of M. macrothorax. It was introduced in 2025.

To view the CollectA Deluxe range: CollectA Deluxe Prehistoric Animal Models.

An article providing information on Maip macrothorax: A New, Giant Megaraptorid Theropod is Described from Argentina.

The reasons for their apparent disappearance from northern continents remain uncertain. Environmental changes, climatic shifts and competition with other large theropods may have contributed.

Invictibellatrix amberina – What’s in a Name?

The genus name Invictibellatrix translates as “unconquered female warrior”. It acknowledges the evolutionary success of megaraptorans, some of which eventually became enormous apex predators. The researchers also intended the name to convey a positive message of resilience and hope to people experiencing discrimination, bullying or oppression.

The species name amberina refers partly to amber associated with the geological deposits from which the fossil originated (Wessex Formation). It also references a feminine personal name.

Everything Dinosaur applauds the research team for naming a new dinosaur species that gives hope and strength to all those who are bullied, discriminated, victimised and oppressed. That tomorrow will be theirs and not to give up in the face of such odds.

Together, these names give the dinosaur a distinctive identity that reflects both its evolutionary history and the researchers’ wider message.

Dr Cassius Morrison (University College London) with co-author PhD student Charlie Scherer (University College London) holding the fossil of the new Isle of Wight dinosaur. Picture credit: The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London.

Picture credit: The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London

More Dinosaur Discoveries Await in Museum Collections

The identification of Invictibellatrix amberina highlights the importance of revisiting historical fossil collections. Although palaeontologists have studied the Isle of Wight for more than two centuries, new dinosaur species continue to be recognised.

Professor Paul Barrett of the Natural History Museum, the study’s senior author, emphasised the scientific importance of historical museum collections. Specimens collected many decades ago can yield extraordinary discoveries when examined using modern techniques.

The Isle of Wight has already provided scientists with an exceptional record of Early Cretaceous dinosaurs. The identification of this European megaraptoran adds another important chapter to a remarkable prehistoric story.

Two new, spinosaurids described: New Spinosaurids from the Isle of Wight Described.

A new Isle of Wight dinosaur (an iguanodontian – Comptonatus chasei) from the Isle of Wight: A New Iguanodontian Dinosaur from the Isle of Wight.

Furthermore, the discovery raises an intriguing possibility. Other overlooked fossils housed in museum collections might contain evidence of previously unknown dinosaurs.

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of University College London and the Natural History Museum in the compilation of this article.

The scientific paper: “A new megaraptoran dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Wessex Formation, UK, and its implications for theropod evolution and biogeography” by Cassius D. Morrison, Charlie R. Scherer, Philip Mannion, Laura B. Porro, Brett Clark, Daniel D. Folkes and Paul M. Barrett published in Royal Society Open Science.

The award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

An amazing fossil discovery in Iraqi Kurdistan has revealed possible evidence of deadly violence amongst Neanderthals around 75,000 years ago. Researchers from the University of Cambridge have identified a distinctive puncture wound in a Neanderthal shoulder blade (scapula). They believe a sharpened wooden spear caused the injury, which almost certainly proved fatal. The proposed Neanderthal wooden spear injury and other fossil material is the subject of a newly published scientific paper.

The discovery could represent the earliest known evidence of lethal interpersonal violence involving a wooden spear in the hominin fossil record.  However, this individual also suffered a horrific facial injury sometime before the fatal encounter.  It is likely this person was cared for, showing another, kinder side to hominins.

View of the entrance to Shanidar Cave in Iraqi Kurdistan. Picture credit: Professor Graeme Barker.

Picture credit: Professor Graeme Barker

A Deadly Neanderthal Wooden Spear Injury

The partial skeleton was discovered in Shanidar Cave, a famous archaeological site in the foothills of Iraqi Kurdistan. Scientists have named the individual Shanidar A. The remains belong to an adult Neanderthal estimated to have been approximately forty-five years old when they died. The archaeologists discovered an almost perfectly preserved scapula (shoulder blade). Remarkably, the fragile bone had survived beneath approximately 7.5 metres of rock and sediment.

Graphic showing the location of Shanidar Cave. Picture credit: Dr Emma Pomeroy/Antiquity.

Picture credit: Dr Emma Pomeroy/Antiquity

However, the scapula contained a distinctive circular hole measuring around fifteen millimetres across. Researchers concluded that a sharpened wooden spear probably caused the injury. A stone or flint spearhead would have produced a different wound, typically leaving a more angular opening.

Left scapula of Shanidar A, photographed in the University of Cambridge’s Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies. Picture credit: University of Cambridge.

Picture credit: University of Cambridge

The weapon apparently entered the Neanderthal’s chest from the front. It then travelled through the body before penetrating the left shoulder blade. The spear would have damaged the lung and probably severed major blood vessels. Consequently, the unfortunate Neanderthal would have died rapidly.

Evidence of a Deliberate Killing?

The researchers examined the shape of the perforation and tiny fragments of displaced bone. Their analysis suggests that the spear entered from above at a downward angle. Furthermore, the position of the wound suggests that the weapon may have been deliberately aimed towards the heart.

Dr Emma Pomeroy, the study’s lead author from the University of Cambridge, explained that the injury was consistent with a potentially intentional killing. However, the researchers acknowledge that the death could have resulted from a hunting accident. Neanderthals probably hunted large prehistoric mammals at close quarters, sometimes using thrusting spears.

The hole in the scapula and the fragments found in the sediment below the perforation, held in place by Dr Emma Pomeroy. Picture credit: University of Cambridge.

Picture credit: University of Cambridge

Although the evidence suggests interpersonal violence, scientists cannot establish precisely what happened. Nor can they determine whether another Neanderthal or an early modern human (Homo sapiens) was responsible.

The research has been published in the scientific journal “Scientific Reports”.

Ancient Wooden Spears Were Effective Weapons

Wood rarely survives in the archaeological record. Nevertheless, exceptional discoveries demonstrate that prehistoric humans manufactured sophisticated wooden weapons hundreds of thousands of years ago. For example, archaeologists uncovered remarkably preserved wooden spears at Schöningen in Germany during the 1990s. These weapons, dating to approximately 200,000 years ago, provide important evidence of prehistoric woodworking skills. Some measured more than two metres long. Their carefully designed weight distribution suggests that they could have been used as throwing spears.

An even older wooden spear point was discovered at Clacton-on-Sea in Essex in 1911. This artefact dates to more than 400,000 years ago.

Multiple images of one of the spears found at Schöningen, Lower Saxony, Germany, in 1995, which is believed to be around 200,000-300,000 years old. This is Schöningen Spear II, replicas of which have been tested as javelin-style throwing spears. Picture credit: Dirk Leder et al. (eds), Weapons, Tools and Technology (2026).

Picture credit: Dirk Leder et al. (eds), Weapons, Tools and Technology (2026)

A related article examining the technology of Homo heidelbergensis: Ancient Hominins Skilled and Competent at Tool Making.

Ancient wooden spears demonstrate the sophisticated weapon-making capabilities of prehistoric humans. Similar technology may have caused the fatal injury to Shanidar A.

The Cambridge researchers compared the perforation in Shanidar A’s shoulder blade with experimental damage produced by reconstructed wooden spears. They found a close match. This suggests that Neanderthals possessed the technology necessary to inflict such an injury.

A Split Tooth Reveals Evidence of Neanderthal Compassion

The investigation also uncovered a fascinating contrast between violence and compassion. Alongside the scapula, archaeologists recovered a mostly complete right hand, fragments of ribs and seven teeth. One lower incisor had suffered a particularly severe injury. The tooth had split lengthways, leaving only half of its original structure.

Remarkably, substantial deposits of dental calculus had accumulated along the exposed root canal. This indicates that the Neanderthal survived the original injury for a considerable period.

The researchers suggest that Shanidar A lived for at least another year, perhaps considerably longer.

Various views of the mandibular left lateral incisor that had been spilt longitudinally. Views of the tooth, from left to right: top (chewing surface), bottom (root end). Middle: toward the front of the dental arch (mesial), toward the lips (labial), toward the back of the dental arch (distal), and toward the tongue (lingual). Picture credit: Dr Emma Pomeroy.

Picture credit: Dr Emma Pomeroy

The facial injury would have made eating extremely difficult and painful. Consequently, Shanidar A may have required assistance from other members of their community. The Shanidar A individual may have been cared for. Dr Pomeroy suggests that fellow Neanderthals could have provided soft food and other forms of support.

Previous research at Shanidar Cave indicates that prehistoric inhabitants soaked plant foods before cooking them. Such food preparation may have helped injured individuals survive.

Therefore, the fossil evidence provides a remarkable insight into Neanderthal social relationships.

Shanidar Cave and Neanderthal Funerary Behaviour

Shanidar Cave has transformed scientific understanding of our closest evolutionary relatives. Excavations during the 1950s uncovered several Neanderthal skeletons. Some individuals displayed evidence of serious disabilities but had survived for many years. These discoveries challenged outdated assumptions that Neanderthals were unintelligent and incapable of compassion.

More recent excavations have revealed further evidence of sophisticated social behaviour.

Shanidar A was discovered in 2020 within a small cluster of Neanderthal remains. Five individuals, comprising four adults and an infant, have now been identified in this confined area.

The bodies were deposited at different times, separated by thin layers of sediment. Intriguingly, the remains lie close to a prominent upright boulder.

Researchers believe this location may have served as a recognised place for depositing the dead. Shanidar A is the deepest individual yet discovered within the cluster. The body was positioned on its back, with the head facing east. The repeated use of this location suggests deliberate funerary behaviour, although the precise beliefs and motivations of these prehistoric people remain unknown.

A Remarkable Insight into Neanderthal Lives

The story of Shanidar A provides a compelling glimpse into life during the Late Pleistocene. On one hand, the fossilised shoulder blade possibly records a violent death, potentially resulting from a deliberate spear attack. On the other, the damaged tooth suggests that the individual had previously received support following a devastating injury. These discoveries highlight the complexity of Neanderthal societies.

Iberian art created by Homo neanderthalensis: Neanderthals Thought Like Us.

Far from being the brutish creatures portrayed in outdated reconstructions, Neanderthals possessed sophisticated technologies and complex social relationships. The latest research from the University of Cambridge provides further evidence that compassion and violence were both features of prehistoric human life.

Seventy-five thousand years after Shanidar A died, a small hole in a fragile shoulder blade has revealed an extraordinary story about our ancient hominin relatives.

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the University of Cambridge in the compilation of this article.

The scientific paper: “Evidence for funerary behaviour and lethal trauma in a new Neanderthal individual from Shanidar Cave” by Emma Pomeroy, Christopher O. Hunt, Lucía López-Polín, Nohemi Sala, Ana Pantoja Pérez, James Holman, Jessica Twyman, Paul Bennett, Tim Reynolds, Ross Lane, Duncan Pirrie and Graeme Barker published in Scientific Reports.

The award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Hominin Figures and Prehistoric Animal Models.