The bones came from the collections of the Natural History Museum in London and the Isle of Dinosaur Museum in the Isle of Wight, England. More than 100 years ago, it was discovered that two species of dinosaurs lived on the island: Mantellisaurus atherfieldensis and Iguanodon bernissartensis.
But Lockwood showed that these two most common dinosaurs weren’t alone. He was convinced that the nuances between the bones would reveal a new species. So I started measuring, photographing, and studying the anatomy of each bone.
convex nasal bone
He was busy sorting out the bones when he discovered a specimen with a large, convex nasal bone. It was believed that “other species have straight noses.” But there was something else that stood out. “The number of teeth was a sign. This one has 28, while Mantellisaurus has 23 or 24.”
Lockwood: “Overall, these and other subtle differences obviously made it a new species.”
Bridgestones Simondsee
For a study in the Journal of Systematic Paleontology, Lockwood named the new species Brighstoneus simmondsi. Brighstoneus is named after the village of Brighstone on the Isle of Wight, near where the skull was excavated. Simmondsi refers to Keith Simmonds, an amateur collector who helped locate the specimen.
Lockwood thinks he’s beautiful. “It was one of the happiest days of lockdown.”
