Three-Toed Dinosaur Footprints Discovered on Isle of Wight Beach during Flooding Checks

Excavations reveal 125 million-year-old footprints likely belonging to a mantellisaurus, highlighting the Isle of Wight as Europe's richest dinosaur location and underscoring the coexistence of modern climate change challenges with historical periods.

• Scientists and engineers from the British Environment Agency discovered footprints of a mantellisaurus, also known as three-toed dinosaur, during their investigations to reinforce coastal defenses against sea flooding on the Isle of Wight.
• The dinosaur is believed to have lived 125 million years ago and its footprints are found in a popular vacation destination near a beachside café, a car park, and a bus stop.
• The Isle of Wight is widely recognized as the richest dinosaur location in Europe with a history of numerous dinosaur discoveries, bolstered now with the mantellisaurus footprints.
• The discovery highlights the convergence of modern-day challenges like climate change and the historical periods of dinosaur existence.
• The mantellisaurus, whose complete skeleton can be found in London's Natural History Museum, was correctly identified only in 2007, earlier being mistaken for Iguanodon atherfieldensis.

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