Retired GP Discovers Three New Dinosaur Species On The Isle Of Wight

(c) University of Portsmouth

A retired GP has discovered three new species of dinosaur on the Isle of Wight, proving you’re never too old to follow your passion — or even complete a PhD.

68-year-old Dr Jeremy Lockwood, from the University of Portsmouth, made the remarkable discoveries while studying fossils from the Island — unearthing creatures that last walked the earth around 125 million years ago.

Dr Lockwood’s fascination with fossils began in childhood, but it was family holidays to the Isle of Wight that reignited his passion for palaeontology.

After years working as a GP, he decided to retire and pursue a PhD in dinosaur research.

“We’d spend hours walking the beaches where the dinosaur beds are, and we started finding bones. That brought it all back,” said Dr Lockwood.

Studying thousands of bones from the Dinosaur Isle Museum in Sandown and the Natural History Museum, Jeremy’s meticulous work has now revealed three entirely new species:

(c) John Sibbick

🦕 Brighstoneus simmondsi — discovered near Brighstone and named after both the village and local fossil collector Keith Simmonds.

🦕 Comptonatus chasei — found at Compton Bay, named in honour of late local fossil hunter Nick Chase, who first discovered the specimen.

🦕 Istiorachis macarthurae — identified from long-overlooked fossils in museum collections, this dinosaur likely had a sail-like structure along its back and is named in tribute to Isle of Wight sailor Dame Ellen MacArthur.

“Sometimes, the most remarkable discoveries are hiding in plain sight,” said Dr Lockwood.

“To spend my later years helping to reveal new species and piece together an ancient ecosystem is extraordinary.”

Bones from all three dinosaurs are now on display at Dinosaur Isle in Yaverland.

Dr Lockwood continues to research the Island’s prehistoric past and hopes to fund a 3D scanner to create a life-size model of Comptonatus chasei.

The discoveries reinforce the Isle of Wight’s reputation as Europe’s richest dinosaur site — and a place where history continues to be written, millions of years after the dinosaurs disappeared.