A Small Herbivorous Dinosaur Unearthed in Scotland

Lead by a team of paleontologists from the National Museum of Scotland, this specimen is recognized as the first and most complete dinosaur skeleton discovered in Scotland to date.

The newly identified specimen originates from the mid-Jurassic period, approximately 166 million years ago.

“Dinosaurs from the Triassic and Early Jurassic were typically small, bipedal, and carnivorous or omnivorous. However, by the late Jurassic, a remarkable diversification occurred, leading to the emergence of some of the largest terrestrial vertebrates to ever walk the Earth,” stated Dr. Elsa Pansilolli, a paleontologist and her colleagues at the National Museum of Scotland.

“This significant diversification in dinosaur species appears to have primarily occurred during the mid-Jurassic period, positioning these dinosaurs as key elements for understanding the drivers behind this rapid evolution.”

“Unfortunately, central Jurassic dinosaur fossils are exceedingly rare and underrepresented globally,” they added.

“Consequently, the early evolutionary history and major diversification of many dinosaur groups remain largely unknown.”

“Thus, new dinosaur findings from the central Jurassic are critical for unwinding the development of ecosystems dominated by dinosaurs.”

A 166 million-year-old skeleton of Ornithikian dinosaurs from the Kilmalag Formation on the Isle of Skye. Image credit: Pansilolli et al., doi: 10.1017/s1755691024000148.

Partial dinosaur skeletons were initially discovered in 1973, but the collection was only completed in 2018.

“The specimen comprises numerous bones and fragments that seem to originate from a single bedding plane within an area measuring approximately 60 cm x 40 cm,” remarked the paleontologist.

The skeleton was uncovered in the Kilmalag Formation, located north of the village of Ergol on the Isle of Skye.

This representation includes Scotland’s most comprehensive fossils, with its initial discovery preceding the earliest reported dinosaur fossils from Skye.

“The central Jurassic in Scotland is becoming more representative of fossil finds from the Kilmalag Formation, increasing its global significance in understanding this period of tetrapod evolution,” the researchers indicated.

“Despite being fragmented, it remains the most intact dinosaur specimen known from Scotland, including partial ilium, nerve arches, rib parts, and other key elements.”

The dinosaurs from the Middle Jurassic are likely Ornithischian Dinosaurs, known as Ornithopoda.

“If the specimen is confirmed to represent Ornithischian, as suggested by the partial iliac bone and histological sections, it signifies a geologically recent event in Scotland, originating from the Kilmalag Formation,” the scientist noted.

The team’s study has been published in the journal Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

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Elsa Panchiroli et al. The first and most complete dinosaur skeleton from the central Jurassic region of Scotland. Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Published online on March 6, 2025. doi:10.1017/s1755691024000148