Actually, the fossil was found 50 years ago but it took all that time to actually release it from the rock. The fossil was found in the sediment on the Isle of Skye in the Loch Skye region of Scotland. It has hundreds of cone shaped teeth that allowed it to catch squid and fish. It is described as a type of ichthyosaur.
Dr Nick Fraser, keeper of natural sciences at National Museums Scotland, said: ‘The Storr Lochs monster highlights the rich fossil heritage of Skye.
‘Collaborations between scientists at National Museums Scotland, the University of Edinburgh and elsewhere in the UK are beginning to shed new light on the middle Jurassic of Skye – a time when dinosaurs were dominant on land but mammals were also diversifying.’
Nicknamed the Storr Lochs Monster, some have speculated that it could be an ancestor of the Loch Ness Monster that is supposed to stalk the depths of Loch Ness about 90 miles to the east.
Some monster-hunters have speculated that Nessie could be a descendant of ancient predators like ichthyosaurs or the earlier plesiosaurs that thrived during the Jurassic period.
Yet despite decades of searching, scientists have yet to find any hard evidence that such a monster still lives in the deep sea loch.
By comparison the Storr Lochs Monsters really did prowl the seas over what is now one of Scotland’s most dramatic landscapes.