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New dinosaur species with sail on its back discovered on Isle of Wight

A retired doctor and former PhD student, Jeremy Lockwood, discovered a new dinosaur species on the Isle of Wight. The 125-million-year-old fossils, initially misidentified, revealed a dinosaur with a distinctive sail on its back. Lockwood, utilizing his medical anatomy knowledge, identified the unique spinal structure. Named *Istiorachis macarthurae*, the species' sail likely served a visual signaling function, possibly for mating displays. This discovery, published in Papers in Palaeontology, highlights the surprisingly high dinosaur diversity 125 million years ago and adds to the Isle of Wight's rich paleontological history, with ten new species found in the last six years.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.

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