The Isle of Wight is one of the richest dinosaur localities in Europe, with over 20 species of dinosaur having been recognised from the early Cretaceous Period (in particular between 132 and 110 million years ago), some of which were first identified on the island, as well as the contemporary non-dinosaurian species of crocodile, turtle and pterosaur. The Isle of Wight is an English island, south of Southampton off the southern English coast. ... Orders & Suborders Saurischia Sauropodomorpha Theropoda Ornithischia Thyreophora Ornithopoda Marginocephalia Dinosaurs were vertebrate animals that dominated the terrestrial ecosystem for over 160 million years, first appearing approximately 230 million years ago. ... Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... In biology, a species is the basic unit of biodiversity. ... The Cretaceous period is one of the major divisions of the geologic timescale, reaching from the end of the Jurassic period, about 146 million years ago (Ma), to the beginning of the Paleocene epoch of the Tertiary period (65. ... Mega-annum, usually abbreviated as Ma, is a unit of time equal to one million years. ... Genera Mecistops Crocodylus Osteolaemus See full taxonomy. ... Suborders Cryptodira Pleurodira See text for families. ... Suborders Rhamphorhynchoidea Pterodactyloidea Pterosaurs (, winged lizards, often referred to as pterodactyls, ) were flying reptiles of the clade Pterosauria. ...

Geological strata

The Isle of Wight has layers of the Vectis and Wealden fossil bearing beds exposed on the southern half of the island. These are revealed in the cliffs of Yaverland, close to Sandown, and Hanover Point and Whale Chine, along the southwestern coast. The Isle of Wight is an island off the south coast of England opposite Southampton. ... A weald once meant a dense forest, especially the famous great wood once stretching far beyond the ancient counties of Sussex and Kent, England, where this country of smaller woods is still called the Weald. ... A fossil Ammonite Fossils (from Latin fossus, literally having been dug up) are the mineralized or otherwise preserved remains or traces (such as footprints) of animals, plants, and other organisms. ... This article is about the geologic use of the term, for other uses see Stratum (disambiguation) Interstate road cut through limestone and shale strata in eastern Tennessee In geology and related fields, a stratum (plural: strata) is a layer of rock or soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguishes it... Location within the British Isles Sandown is a seaside resort town on the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight, England, neighbouring the town of Shanklin to the south. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Chines. ...

The Cretaceous habitat

The Island's dinosaurs come from the Wessex formation, which dates from between 125 and 110 million years go. During this time the Isle of Wight, then located on a latitude at which North Africa resides today, had a subtropical environment, and was part of a large river valley complex, which ran along the south coast of England to Belgium. A world of ponds, rivers and swamps, and so had conditions favourable for the formation of fossils.  Northern Africa (UN subregion)  geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent. ... Subtropical (or semitropical) areas are those adjacent to the tropics, usually roughly defined as the ranges 23. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages English Capital London Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid... The Murray River in Australia. ... A freshwater swamp This article is about the wetland type (a landform). ...

Animal remains from this time include crocodiles, turtles, pterosaurs, mammals and possibly some birds. In the water were snails, fish and mussels. Genera Mecistops Crocodylus Osteolaemus See full taxonomy. ... Suborders Cryptodira Pleurodira See text for families. ... Suborders Rhamphorhynchoidea Pterodactyloidea Pterosaurs (, winged lizards, often referred to as pterodactyls, ) were flying reptiles of the clade Pterosauria. ... Orders Subclass Multituberculata (extinct) Plagiaulacida Cimolodonta Subclass Palaeoryctoides (extinct) Subclass Triconodonta (extinct) Subclass Eutheria (includes extinct ancestors)/Placentalia (excludes extinct ancestors) Afrosoricida Artiodactyla Carnivora Cetacea Chiroptera Cimolesta (extinct) Creodonta (extinct) Condylarthra (extinct) Dermoptera Desmostylia (extinct) Dinocerata (extinct) Embrithopoda (extinct) Hyracoidea Insectivora Lagomorpha Litopterna (extinct) Macroscelidea Mesonychia (extinct) Notoungulata (extinct) Perissodactyla... Orders Many - see section below. ...

As this environment did not change much over the course of 10 million years, a large number of fossils were formed, and so the island today is a very rich habitat.

List of dinosaur species

Unless otherwise specified, the follow is a list of dinosaurs for which almost complete skeletons have been found on the island. There are also many more species known only from a single or very few bones.

Order Ornithischia

• Suborder Ornithopoda ("bird-footed", bipedal herbivores)
  • Iguanodon bernissartensis: Vertebrae of the two Iguanadon species are particularly common.
  • Iguanodon atherfieldensis
  • Valdosaurus canaliculatus
  • Hypsilophodon foxi: Named after Reverend Fox, a fossil collector of the Isle of Wight who found several skeletons.

• Suborder Thyreophora ("shield-bearers", armored herbivorous dinosaurs)
  • Polacanthus foxi: Also named after the Reverend Fox. Notable as no head to the specimen has ever been found, and reconstructions are based upon suppositions from similar anklosaurids.

Suborders Thyreophora Cerapoda    Ornithopoda    Marginocephalia Ornithischia is an order of beaked, herbivorous dinosaurs. ... Clades ?Heterodontosauridae Hypsilophodontia Iguanodontia    Hadrosauridae Ornithopods (or-nith-oh-PODS) are a group of ornithischian dinosaurs who started out as small, cursorial grazers, and grew in size and numbers until they became one of the most successful Cretaceous herbivores in the world, and totally dominated the North American landscape. ... A deer and two fawns feeding on some foliage In zoology, an herbivore is an animal that is adapted to eat primarily plant matter (rather than meat). ... Species (neotype) (holotype) Iguanodon is a genus of ornithopod dinosaurs. ... A diagram of a thoracic vertebra. ... Species (neotype) (holotype) Iguanodon is a genus of ornithopod dinosaurs. ... Species Valdosaurus (Weald Lizard) was a small, bipedal herbivorous ornithopod dinosaur found on the Isle of Wight. ... Discovery The first remains of Hysilophodon (high-ridged tooth) were recovered in the early days of paleontology, in 1849. ... William Darwin Fox The Reverend William Darwin Fox (1805-1880) was an English clergyman, naturalist and a 2nd cousin of Charles Robert Darwin. ... Subclades Ankylosauria Stegosauria Scelidosauridae The Thyreophora (Shield Bearers) were the group of armored plant-eating dinosaurs, living from the early Jurassic until the end of the Cretaceous. ... Polacanthus was an armored, spiked, plant-eating ankylosaur from the early Cretaceous period. ...

Order Saurischia

• Suborder Sauropodomorpha ("sauropod-like", giant long-necked herbivores)
  • The 'Barnes High' sauropod: A member of the Brachiosauridae family, most likely Eucamerotus or Pelorosaurus. This is the most complete specimen from the Wealden era.

• Suborder Theropoda ("beast foot", bipedal carnivores)
  • Baryonyx walkeri: Teeth are common on the Island. Hand bones have also been found.
  • Eotyrannus lengi: possibly the oldest member of the tyrannosaurid family. First identified in 1997 and named in 2001 from a single specimen found on the island.
  • Neovenator salerii: The holotype skeleton was found on the island.

Groups Sauropodomorpha    Saturnalia    Prosauropoda    Sauropoda Theropoda    Eoraptor    Herrerasauridae    Ceratosauria    Tetanurae       Aves(extant) Saurischians (from the Greek Saurischia meaning lizard hip) are one of the two orders/branches of dinosaurs. ... Groups Saturnalia Prosauropoda Sauropoda The Sauropodomorpha were a group of long-necked, herbivorous dinosaurs that eventually dropped down on all fours and became the largest animals that ever the walked the earth. ... Families Brachiosauridae Camarasauridae Cetiosauridae Diplodocidae Euhelopodidae Nemegtosauridae Titanosauridae Vulcanodontidae Sauropoda, the sauropods, are a suborder or infraorder of the saurischian (lizard-hipped) dinosaurs. ... Genera Brachiosaurus Cedarosaurus Giraffatitan Lusotitan Brachiosauridae is a family of dinosaurs, whose members are known as Brachiosaurids. ... Chondrosteosaurus (bony catilage lizard) was a sauropod from Early Cretaceous England. ... Binomial name Pelorosaurus conybearei Mantell, 1850 Pelorosaurus (pel-LOH-ro-SAWR-us, meaning monstrous lizard) was a huge plant-eating dinosaur. ... Families See text Theropods (beast foot) are a group of bipedal, primarily carnivorous dinosaurs, belonging to the saurischian (lizard-hip) family. ... The lion is a well-known, truly carnivorous member of the order Carnivora. ... Binomial name Baryonyx walkeri Chraig & Milner, 1986 Baryonyx (bahr-ee-ON-iks) meaning heavy claw, referring to its large claw (Greek bary = heavy + onyx = claw) was a carnivorous dinosaur discovered in clay pits just south of Dorking, England, and northern Spain. ... Eotyrannus (First Tyrant) was a tyrannosaurid from early Cretaceous England and Belgium. ... Genera Albertosaurus Daspletosaurus Gorgosaurus Tarbosaurus Tyrannosaurus The tyrannosaurids were a family of dinosaurs whose name is derived from the Greek words trannos, meaning tyrant; and sauros, meaning lizard. ... Binomial name Neovenator salerii Hutt Martill & Barker, 1996 Known from the Isle of Wight, UK, Neovenator (New-Hunter) is one of the best known large carnivorous dinosaurs in Europe. ... A holotype is one of several possible types. ...

References

• Deborah Cadbury, The Dinosaur Hunters (Forth Estate) ISBN 1-85702-963-1; a history of the early history of the discovery of dinosaurs in the United Kingdom. Includes brief references to collectors on the island.

External links

• Dinosaurs at Dinosaur Isle The website of Dinosaur Isle, an Isle of Wight palaeontological museum.
• Dinosaur Farm - Another local museum.
• DinoWight - The Dinosaurs of the Isle of Wight Good site for general and scientific information
• The Palaeontological Association - Official website.

Dinosaur Isle is a museum located on the Isle of Wight. ...

Other meanings

Dinosaurs of the Isle of Wight (The Palaeontological Association, 2001) ISBN 0-901-702-72-2, is also the title of a field guide to dinosaurs found on the island, by Darren Naish and David Martill. Darren Naish is a vertebrate paleontologist, presently based at the University of Portsmouth where he works on theropod dinosaurs, particularly those of Early Cretaceous England. ...

Articles and Categories about the Isle of Wight, England

Category:Isle of Wight | Category:Buildings and structures on the Isle of Wight | Dinosaurs of the Isle of Wight | Education on the Isle of Wight | Isle of Wight: Famous Connections | History of the Isle of Wight | List of places on the Isle of Wight | Politics of the Isle of Wight | Category:Visitor attractions on the Isle of Wight | Isle of Wight (disambiguation) The Isle of Wight is an English island, south of Southampton off the southern English coast. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages English Capital London Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid... Image File history File links Isleofwight. ... // Schools There are 69 LEA maintained schools on the Isle of Wight, and two private schools. ... Today, the Isle of Wight is rich in historical and archaeological sites dating from prehistoric periods from an extraordinary wealth of fossil discoveries including dinosaur bones through to remains from the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman periods onwards. ... This is a list of cities, towns and villages in the ceremonial county of Isle of Wight, England. ... As a geographical entity distinct from the mainland, the Isle of Wight has always fought to have this identity recognised. ... Isle of Wight can refer to: In the United Kingdom: The ceremonial county of the Isle of Wight The unitary authority region covered by Isle of Wight Council The UK Parliament constituency, the Isle of Wight As of 2004, all of these uses cover the same land area. ...