Overview

• The species, Istiorachis macaruthurae, is an iguanodontian named in honor of Isle of Wight yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur.
• The fossils, dating to roughly 125 million years ago, had been assumed to belong to one of the island’s previously known iguanodontians.
• Exceptionally elongated neural spines along the back and tail indicate a pronounced sail-like structure rare for Iguanodon-like dinosaurs.
• Researchers interpret the sail as most likely used for visual signalling, possibly in courtship, rather than for heat regulation or energy storage.
• The peer-reviewed description in Papers in Palaeontology credits lead author Jeremy Lockwood, with the Natural History Museum’s Susannah Maidment noting the work boosts recognized small iguanodontian diversity and underscores the value of museum collections.