Dinosaur fossils in the Isle of Wight
The Paleobiology Database records 128 non-avian dinosaur finds in the Isle of Wight, from 25 genera. The oldest is Polacanthus from the Late Berriasian age, about 139.1 million years old. The youngest is Polacanthus foxii from the Late Albian age, as young as about 100.5 million years. Ages are the range the database gives for the rocks, so a find can be tens of millions of years across.
- 128finds
- 25genera
- 139.1oldest, million years ago
- 100.5youngest, million years ago
It ranks 1st of 28 UK counties on the map by number of finds, with 19% of the finds in the UK. The most recorded dinosaurs are Iguanodon (23), Polacanthus (9) and Mantellisaurus (5). The rock formation with the most finds is called Wessex, with 88.
Which dinosaurs were found in the Isle of Wight?
The genera with the most finds here:
| Dinosaur | Finds |
|---|---|
| Iguanodon | 23 |
| Polacanthus | 9 |
| Mantellisaurus | 5 |
| Valdosaurus | 5 |
| Hypsilophodon | 4 |
| Ornithopsis | 4 |
| Cetiosaurus | 3 |
| Aristosuchus | 1 |
| Baryonyx | 1 |
| Brighstoneus | 1 |
Rock formations with dinosaur finds in the Isle of Wight
| Formation | Finds |
|---|---|
| Wessex | 88 |
| Vectis | 10 |
| Ferruginous Sands | 2 |
| Upper Greensand | 1 |
Other UK counties to explore
- Dorset (126)
- East Sussex (66)
- Oxfordshire (54)
- West Sussex (46)
- Cambridgeshire (44)
- North Yorkshire (37)
- Ross and Cromarty (36)
- Gloucestershire (29)
- Wiltshire (17)
- Kent (10)
See the sea floor where marine reptiles swam: oceanfloormap.com →
Before you go fossil hunting. A dot shows where a find was recorded, not where you may dig. Many fossil sites are on private or protected land and collecting rules differ by country. Check the rules before collecting and never dig on protected sites.