By Amelia 
A former PhD student analyzing 125-million-year-old fossils has made waves with the discovery of a new species of dinosaur that had a sail on its back.
The findings, published in the journal Papers in Palaeontology on Friday, relate to fossils originally excavated in the 1970s on the Isle of Wight, a small island off England’s south coast.
dinosaur species
There are over 700 named species of dinosaurs, and more are being discovered regularly. Here’s a breakdown of some key species across different types of dinosaurs
🦖 Theropods (Mostly Carnivorous, Bipedal)
Carnotaurus – Horned predator with tiny arms and fast-running build.
Tyrannosaurus rex – One of the most famous predators, lived in North America.
Velociraptor – Smaller, feathered predator, known for its speed and intelligence.
Allosaurus – Preceded T. rex, large carnivore from the Jurassic period.
Spinosaurus – Possibly the largest carnivorous dinosaur, semi-aquatic.
🦕 Sauropods (Long-necked Herbivores)
Brachiosaurus – Very tall, giraffe-like posture, long neck.
Apatosaurus (formerly Brontosaurus) – Huge body, long tail and neck.
Diplodocus – Extremely long tail and neck, possibly used tail like a whip.
Argentinosaurus – Possibly the heaviest land animal ever, from South America.
Dreadnoughtus – One of the most massive titanosaurs.
particularly large
The new species is not particularly large by dinosaur standards and is similar in size to the American bison, according to the .
This new discovery is just the latest on the island, with 10 new dinosaur species found on the Isle of Wight over the past six years, according to Lockwood.