Dinosaurs Come to ITV – “Dinosaur Britain”
When asked to think about dinosaurs, most people might imagine scientists searching for giant bones and teeth in the more remote parts of the world, places like the intriguingly named “Hell Creek” of Montana or the “Badlands” of South Dakota. What might surprise most members of the public, is, that once upon a time, dinosaurs roamed over the British Isles. Not only that but dear old “blighty”, plus Wales and Scotland, can lay claim to having one of the best dinosaur fossil records of anywhere in the world.
A New Television Documentary Series
Putting British dinosaur discoveries in the spotlight is the aim of a new, two-part television documentary that is being shown on ITV1 next week. Presenter Ellie Harrison accompanies palaeontologist Dean Lomax on a whistle stop tour of dinosaurs of the British Isles and thanks to some super-duper CGI, viewers will be able to see some examples of these amazing prehistoric animals wandering around the UK.
Presenter Ellie Harrison Encounters a Theropod Dinosaur
Presenter Ellie Harrison confronts a theropod dinosaur.
Picture credit: ITV
The first part of this documentary, “Dinosaur Britain” created by production company Maverick TV, will be shown on Bank Holiday Monday, 31st August at 9pm. In this episode, Ellie, who confesses to having an interest in dinosaurs ever since she first heard about them as a child, explores the very first scientifically described dinosaur (Megalosaurus) as well as learning all about the fearsome Baryonyx, whose fossils were found in a Surrey clay pit.
Dean Lomax
Helping Ellie to piece together the clues about Britain’s ancient past is talented palaeontologist and British dinosaur aficionado, Dean Lomax. Dean explains what fossils can tell scientists about prehistory and accompanies the naturalist and journalist on a journey around the British Isles exploring the country’s amazing dinosaur heritage.
Our Tour Guides to “Dinosaur Britain” Ellie Harrison and Palaeontologist Dean Lomax
Dean guides Ellie through a dinosaur dominated Britain.
Picture credit: ITV
Brave Ellie is likely to get chased by a few of the more dangerous dinosaurs to have once roamed our countryside, and we expect the camera crew to entice her into hand-feeding the occasional iguanodontid or two, but this documentary will also inform viewers about some members of the Dinosauria, whose fossils are unique to Britain. For example, travel to the beautiful Dorset coast and visit the location where amateur fossil hunter David Sole discovered the remarkable fossilised bones of one of the first armoured dinosaurs.
The dinosaur discovered by David, now resides in Bristol Museum, it is a Scelidosaurus and there is no record of it being found anywhere else in the world, it’s the “Jurassic Coasts” very own dinosaur.
Episode Two – (Isle of Skye, Isle of Wight and an Early Tyrannosaur)
Part two of “Dinosaur Britain” is due to be shown on the following evening (8pm ITV1). The intrepid duo travel to the Isle of Skye to learn about some of the biggest terrestrial animals ever to roam Europe. Some of the giant, herbivorous sauropods that thundered across our ancient landscape were as long as two London buses. Dean explains to Ellie how dinosaur footprints are important trace fossils, fossils which actually show behaviour of long extinct creatures.
Huge Sauropod Dinosaurs Once Roamed the British Isles
Ellie Harrison says hello to a sauropod.
Picture credit: ITV
Not all of Britain’s dinosaurs were enormous beasts. Some of the world’s smallest dinosaurs lived here too. Dean reveals a tiny footprint found on Skye, the smallest in the Western world, probably just twenty centimetres in length and a tiny meat‐eater. Next it’s a swift journey to the opposite end of the British Isles, to our very own “Dinosaur Isle”, the Isle of Wight, to learn all about predator/prey interactions. Vertebrate palaeontologist, Darren Naish (University of Southampton and Tetrapod Zoology fame), shows fossils of the herbivorous dinosaur called Mantellisaurus, a dinosaur named in honour of Englishman Gideon Mantell (1790-1852) who named Iguanodon, the second dinosaur to be scientifically described.
Mantellisaurus
The Mantellisaurus fossil material shows signs of an attack from or at least feeding by a carnivorous dinosaur. The likely culprit is the ferocious Neovenator which Dr Naish describes as being “quite a nasty, efficient predator.”
Dinosaur Britain
Dean and Ellie continue their journey around Britain, with a trip to Ellie’s home county of Gloucestershire, where in 1910, an ancient tyrannosaur fossil was found during the excavation of a reservoir. This beautifully preserved fossil, consisting of a nearly complete skull and jaws was named Proceratosaurus bradleyi. It may not have been as big as the more famous Tyrannosaurus rex but this fossil does prove that early tyrannosaurs roamed across Britain during the Bathonian faunal stage of the Middle Jurassic. Indeed, Proceratosaurus was not the only member of the tyrannosaur family known from the British Isles, two more are described in Dean’s fantastic book “Dinosaurs of the British Isles” published by Siri Scientific Press
Dinosaurs of the British Isles by Dean Lomax and Nobumichi Tamura
A comprehensive guide to British dinosaurs over 400 pages.
Picture credit: Siri Scientific Press
To learn more about dinosaurs from Britain and to purchase this brilliant book: Siri Scientific Press.
160 Million Years of British History
Concluding their journey through 160 million years of British history, the documentary ends with a visit to Cardiff to view one of the most recently discovered dinosaurs. There were once real dragons in Wales, albeit little ones but the fossils of a theropod dinosaur discovered by brothers Nick and Rob Hanigan might turn out to represent the earliest dinosaur known from Jurassic aged rocks. Everything Dinosaur produced a short article announcing this discovery including pictures of the fossilised bones back in June.
To read more about this Welsh dinosaur: New Early Jurassic Theropod Dinosaur.
Looks like, thanks to Ellie Harrison and Dean Lomax (plus Darren Naish et al), British dinosaurs are going to be well and truly put on the map!
Everything Dinosaur stocks a range of dinosaur models fossils of which are known from the British Isles, dinosaurs such as Iguanodon, Megalosaurus and Proceratosaurus.
To view this range: CollectA Prehistoric World Figures.
