What was long though to be just another old fish fossil in a Scottish museum has recently been discovered to be a brand new species!
Found in the early 1900s, a collection of bones belonging to a marine animal was put in a museum and forgotten. Now, researchers are giving it a second look and realising that it might be a “missing link” between marine crocodiles and modern day killer whales.
The species is named Tyrannoneustes lythrodectikos which translates to Tyrant Swimmer. It is believed to be a mix between a dolphin and a crocodile with some shark features as well. The species possessed long, sharp teeth and a gaping jaw which led scientists to believe that the creature was able to hunt prey as large as and much larger than itself!
The Tyrannoneustes lythrodectikos was probably a vicious predator in its time and the re-discovery of its bones will allow scientist to better understand the evolution of marine animals.