大象传媒

On the last night of the Blitz in 1941, a German bomb fell on the Royal College of Surgeons in central London, destroying a hugely important fossil, which experts believe was found by the pioneering Dorset palaeontologist Mary Anning over 200 years ago.

A drawing of the ichthyosaur's skeleton was the only surviving evidence - or so scientists thought.

Now, two plaster casts have been found in the archives of American and German museums, providing more accurate depictions of the animal's bones than the surviving drawing.

Palaeontologist Dr Dean Lomax, who found the two casts, has been speaking to 大象传媒 Radio Solent's Steve Harris.