A reptile skull named by competition winner, Finn

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13-04-2024, 16:30

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INA - SOURCES

Annabelle, from Birmingham, named the skull after her friend Finn and the fact that the reptile had a fin that it used to swim.

She said she was so excited to hear that her suggestion was selected out of more than 100 names.

The ichthyosaur skull looks similar to a dolphin and sits within Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry.

This specimen along with tens of others was found at Harbury Cement Quarry in Warwickshire and given to the museum in 1961.

At the museum, the fossil's display will soon feature a plaque with its new name along with Annabelle's.

Ali Wells, from the museum, said she was really pleased that the skull had its own name.
“Our ichthyosaur is one of our prized items, one we’re incredibly proud to be able to display."

The skull appears as part of a Jurassic Sea display which includes creatures from between 200 and 145 million years ago.

The reptiles lived in the sea, hunted sea creatures like fish and ranged from one to 20m (65ft) long.