Penarth, Wales, 2025-09-20

An old fossil jawbone, known to paleontologists for over a century, has finally been identified as belonging to a previously unknown species of dinosaur. Researchers at the University of Bristol have officially named the new species Newtonsaurus cambrensis, a large, predatory theropod that roamed the shores of South Wales during the Triassic period. The discovery, made using modern digital scanning techniques, solves a 125-year-old mystery surrounding the fossil, which was first reported in 1899. The findings highlight the importance of re-examining historical collections with modern technology and underscore the significance of Wales in paleontological research.

A Fossil Rediscovered

The fossilized jawbone, which has been on display at the National Museum of Wales for decades, was initially named Zanclodon cambrensis in 1899. However, the name was later abandoned as it was found to refer to a broad variety of early reptiles, leaving the true identity of the fossil in question. A team from the University of Bristol, led by student Owain Evans, took on the task of re-examining the specimen.

 * Digital Technology: The fossil itself contains no bone, only a natural mold pressed into the stone. Using photogrammetry, a technique that creates 3D models from photographs, Evans was able to create a precise digital reconstruction of the jawbone. This allowed the team to study the unique dental features of the animal in unprecedented detail.

 * A New Name: The new dinosaur was named in honor of Edwin Tully Newton, the man who first described the fossil in 1899. The name “Newtonsaurus cambrensis” pays homage to Newton’s original work and acknowledges the Welsh origin of the fossil.

A Giant for Its Time

The research revealed a surprising fact about the new species: its size. The fossilized jawbone is 28 centimeters long, and the researchers estimate it to be only the front half of the original jaw. This suggests that the full jawbone would have been around 60 centimeters long, corresponding to a dinosaur with a body length of 5 to 7 meters.

 * A Large Predator: This makes Newtonsaurus an unusually large predator for the Triassic period, a time when most theropods were much smaller. This discovery challenges previous assumptions about the size and scale of predators during that era and reveals that large carnivorous dinosaurs were already roaming the Earth much earlier than previously thought.

 * A Rich History: The re-description of Newtonsaurus cambrensis highlights the importance of the Triassic fossil beds in Wales, which are rare worldwide. The discovery of this new species, along with other recent finds in the region, suggests that there may be even more dinosaur species waiting to be uncovered in the cliffs and quarries of Wales. The discovery is a powerful reminder that the past still holds secrets waiting to be unlocked.