Pony-sized dinosaur revealed 52 years after discovery

The fossil of a pony-sized dinosaur has been revealed for the first time - more than 50 years after it was first spotted in a sea cliff on Skye.

Experts had assessed the location as too difficult to carry out an excavation, and it was not until 2018 before the fossil was recovered.

Palaeontologist Dr Elsa Panciroli was helped by a local tour boat company to reach the site and remove it.

Analysis has now revealed it to be 166 million years old - and the most complete dinosaur skeleton found in Scotland so far.

Parts of the fossil were first spotted at Elgol in 1973.

At the time it was Scotland's first recorded dinosaur.

Dr Panciroli, a Nerc Independent Research Fellow at National Museums Scotland, and colleagues were helped by the crew of local tour company, Bella Jane Boat Trips, to access the location.

After the fossil was removed it was taken to a lab to be studied.

Experts identified the dinosaur's spine, ribs and a hip bones.

Researchers believe it was eight years old when it died and dated from a time called the Middle Jurassic.

They suggest it was an ornithopod, a group of plant-eating dinosaurs that include Iguanodons.

Dr Panciroli said: "This was a really challenging extraction, in fact we'd previously felt was too difficult to collect the fossil, but I thought it was really important to study it.

"I was able to persuade the team to give it a try.

"It took a lot of hard work from a lot of people, but we did it."

The research has been published in Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Dr Stig Walsh, from National Museums Scotland, described the fossil as a "wonderful addition" to a growing set of Jurassic finds from Skye

Other recent Jurassic discoveries include adult and juvenile mammals of the shrew-like Krusatodon.

Also, the largest Jurassic pterosaur fossil, Dearc sgiathanach - a 170-million-year-old winged reptile.

Prof Susie Maidment, of the Natural History Museum and the University of Birmingham, said: "The Elgol dinosaur was a challenge to collect, and has proven perhaps an even bigger challenge to identify.

"Recent research on the fossils of Elgol has revealed a diverse ecosystem of extraordinarily preserved Middle Jurassic animals, and I'm sure there are more exciting discoveries to come."