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A nearly complete fossilized frame discovered along the Jurassic Coast has been identified as a new kind of ichthyosaur, a type of ancient marine reptile that once ruled the oceans.

The dolphin-sized ichthyosaur has been designated Xiphodracon goldencapensis, or the "blade serpent of Dorset" and represents the sole documented specimen of its kind.

Researchers state that marks on its skull suggest the "sword dragon" may have been fatally wounded by a attack to the head, possibly inflicted by a significantly bigger species of ichthyosaur.

First discovered by a prolific fossil hunter at Golden Cap in Dorset in 2001, the recently identified ichthyosaur was subsequently acquired by a institution in Canada.

Only in recent times been fully analyzed by specialists and a research document published classifying it as a new species of ichthyosaur.

"I thought long and hard about the name," said ichthyosaur specialist Dr Dean Lomax, who collaborated on the study classifying the fossil as a new species.

"The name Xiphodracon means sword-like dragon and that is in reference to that extremely elongated, sword-like snout, but also the reality that ichthyosaurs have been called sea dragons for about 200 years."

Ancient Marine Life

These creatures are categorized as marine reptiles, rather than dinosaurs, because they lived entirely in the water. This particular ichthyosaur is believed to have swum the seas about 185 million years ago, a time frame from which extremely rare ichthyosaur fossils have been discovered.

"In this period ichthyosaurs are extremely uncommon, and Xiphodracon is the most complete individual ever found from there, contributing to close a gap," Dr Lomax stated. "It's a missing piece of the mystery in ichthyosaur evolution."

Distinctive Features

Researchers estimate the creature measured about 3m long and has multiple characteristics that have not been seen in other species of ichthyosaur.

• Scientists report the strangest detail is a fork-shaped bone near its nose opening
• The skull has an enormous eye socket
• A long sword-like snout that it used to consume fish and squid

Life and Death

There are also clues as to how this specific specimen lived and died.

"Its fins and dental structure are malformed in such a way that points to significant trauma or illness while the creature was still alive," said study co-author Dr Erin Maxwell.

"Its head appears to have been attacked by a large predator - likely another considerably bigger type of ichthyosaur - giving us a cause of death for this individual. Existence in ancient seas was a risky prospect."

Finding and Study

The specimen was found in 2001 by paleontology enthusiast Chris Moore and then acquired by the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada where it required more than 15 years to be fully analyzed.

"I don't wish to blow my own ichthyosaur trumpet but I have found a number of them," Mr Moore stated.

The actual number he's unearthed is approximately 15, with multiple of them, like the "blade serpent", turning out to be previously unknown types.

Mr Moore says he is planning to celebrate the recent finding but has not yet determined exactly how the celebration will take.

"Champagne or a mug of tea, I'm not sure which yet," he commented.

This remarkable discovery is one of numerous ichthyosaur remains that have been discovered along Dorset's Jurassic Coast dating back to the initial findings of trailblazing palaeontologist Mary Anning in the beginning of the nineteenth century.