Dog discovers 65 million-year-old skeleton

Jon Gopsill, 54, was strolling with his two domestic animals on the coast of Stolford, Somerset on Saturday, when they sniffed out a bone that turned out to be part of a fossil measuring 1,67m long, exposed by last storms.

Gopsill, an amateur archaeologist, believes that fossil is in the prehistoric order of sea creatures with poros known as ichhyosaurs who lived during the Jurassic period.

Gopsill, who works as a psychiatric nurse, has reported his findings in Somerset Heritage, as well as the Museum of Natural History.

Last year, bones from the lower jaws of an 85m giant Igyosaurus were found in the village of Somerset in Lilstock ʹ dating from the period of the Late Triasik, some 235 to 200 million years ago.

Ichthiosaurs were not dinosaurs, but a large group of sea reptiles that were more abundant during the Jurasic geological period and disappeared during the Kretace period some 145 million years ago.

They averaged about 6 to 13 feet [6 to 13 m] in length and were similar to modern dolphins.

Ichthyiosaurs was a group of reptiles that disappeared some 90 million years ago.

They appeared during Triasik, reached their climax during Jurasik, and disappeared during the Kretak period.

Often ill identified as swimming dinosaurs, these reptiles appeared before the first dinosaurs.

Scientists estimate that they had a speed of 22 km/h.

The largest type of ichthyrosaust is thought to have grown to more than 20 meters.

The largest total fossil of the ever discovered ichthyrosaurus, at 3.5 meters, was found to have a fetus still inside its belly.