Scientists amazed by new dinosaur with unusual backbone: 6.6 feet, 2,200 pounds

Standing over six and a half feet tall and weighing nearly 2,200 pounds, a newly identified dinosaur species has just made headlines—and it’s unlike anything scientists have seen before.

Researchers in England have uncovered Istiorachis macarthurae, a striking herbivore that roamed the lands of southern Wessex, (now the Isle of Wight) over 120 million years ago.

One of the most intriguing features that sets this prehistoric creature apart is the dramatic sail-like structure running along its back—likely used for visual signaling, possibly to attract mates or assert dominance within its herd.

Newly discovered dinosaur named in honor of English sailor

The dinosaur’s name, Istiorachis, comes from Ancient Greek for “sail spine,” while macarthurae honors Dame Ellen MacArthur, an English sailor who in 2005 set a world record for the fastest solo non-stop voyage around the world on her first attempt and who also founded the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust for young people on the Isle of Wight.

The discovery was led by Dr. Jeremy Lockwood of London’s Natural History Museum, who reexamined fossils originally unearthed in the 1970s. His findings, published in Papers in Palaeontology, reveal that Wessex was home to a surprisingly diverse range of iguanodontian dinosaurs during the Early Cretaceous period.

The discovery of Istiorachis macarthurae isn’t just exciting news for paleontology—it’s also a fascinating glimpse into the world of dorsal sail vertebrates. These sail-like structures have a protective role in shielding the neural arch and spinal cord from injury.

Another hypothesis suggests the sail may have helped regulate body temperature, much like a biological radiator. For that to work, it would have needed a dense network of blood vessels to absorb or release heat efficiently.

Dorsal sails used as a mating call

However, lead author Jeremy Lockwood finds that unlikely in this case. He explains: “A sail with many blood vessels would be a very vulnerable target and could lead to severe blood loss if injured. We consider a signaling function more probable. Sexual signaling is the most probable explanation. When a trait in animals is exaggerated beyond its practical use, it’s usually driven by evolutionary pressure to attract a mate“.

Lockwood and his team are keen to fit together more pieces of the puzzle relating to this fascinating prehistoric creature, which lived during the Early Cretaceous. Remains of theropod dinosaurs have been known from the Wessex Formation of the Lower Cretaceous Wealden Group of the Isle of Wight since the 1860s. Unfortunately, the excavation site was poached and an unknown amount of remains were taken.

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