The white rocky dinosaur Spinaur, as it was christened, is estimated to have been over ten meters long and several tons in weight. “Based on its size, it appears to be one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs ever found in Europe. It is probably the largest,” paleontologist Chris Parker told the BBC.

According to Parker and his colleagues, the dinosaur lived along the coast, hunting animals in lagoons and on beaches. It had a mouth like the mouth of a crocodile that grabbed its prey.

larvae

The dinosaur got its name from the bump on the Wight where its bones were found. It consists entirely of white limestone. The animal also lived in the geological period called the Cretaceous period.

Ironically, the dinosaur itself eventually fell prey to small animals. The bone remains found in White were filled with “tunnels” about one centimeter in diameter. The beetle larvae that ate the carrion are supposed to “dig it out”. “It’s an interesting idea that this giant killer ended up as a meal for insects,” said Jeremy Lockwood, a paleontologist who studied the bones.