A fossil unearthed along the coast of England was identified as a new species of a renowned “sword dragon” reptile that dominated the sea during the Jurassic Period.

The nearly complete ichthyosaur fossil was dubbed the Xiphodracon goldencapensis , formally translating to the “sword dragon of Dorset,” after it was discovered on the Jurassic coast in the sleepy English county. 5

The ichthyosaur was a type of marine reptile that looked like a cross between a shark, barracuda, and swordfish. The one dug up in Dorset had marks along its skull that suggested a predator may have bitten its head and killed it, the team behind the discovery wrote in a paper published Thursday .

The fossil was first discovered in 2001 and passed around between museums before experts were finally able to

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