What started as a student field trip along the cliffs of Dorset turned into the discovery of a new prehistoric species. A 16.5-millimeter lower jaw, embedded in rock near Swanage, is now reshaping how scientists view early mammal evolution.
The discovery was made by an undergraduate student from the University of Portsmouth. The fossil belongs to a type of extinct mammal called a multituberculate.
These small, rodent-like creatures once lived alongside dinosaurs and were known for their distinctively complex teeth.
A curious jaw, a surprising species
The fossil was uncovered at Durlston Bay, a site famous for its rich geological layers. It’s the first multituberculate jaw found there since the 1800s.
Though it looks a bit like a rabbit’s jaw at first glance, the structure of the teeth tells a different story. A sharp incisor juts out at the front, followed by a gap, and then four blade-like premolars.
“I instantly had my suspicions of what the jaw was when I found it at the beach, but couldn’t have imagined where the discovery would take me,” said Ben Weston, an undergraduate paleontology student.
“I’m extremely grateful to the team and to the university for helping me take my first steps into academic paleontology.”
Researchers at the University of Portsmouth confirmed that the fossil is from a species that had never been identified before.
Technology brings the fossil to life
The fossil wasn’t easy to examine. Rock still clung to key parts of the specimen. To get around this, the team turned to high-resolution CT scanning.
Dr. Charles Wood, a senior scientific officer at the university, scanned the fossil, allowing scientists to see inside the rock without damaging the sample.
Jake Keane, a former Portsmouth paleontology student now working in Abu Dhabi, helped process the scans. In just a few hours, he digitally removed the surrounding rock and isolated the teeth in fine detail.
The scans were then turned into 3D-printed models by John Fearnly, lead technician in the university’s Faculty of Technology. These models were ten times larger than the original, making it safer and easier to study the fossil in depth.
New mammal gets a name
The team named the new species Novaculadon mirabilis. “Novacula” means razor, a nod to its sharp back teeth. “Mirabilis” refers to the jaw’s almost perfect preservation.
Portsmouth student Hamzah Imran created an artistic rendering of the animal. It’s imagined as a small, furry creature with a mix of spots and stripes – though its actual appearance remains speculative.
Based on its teeth, Novaculadon mirabilis likely ate insects and other small invertebrates. Its slicing premolars and pointed incisors set it apart from modern rodents like rats or squirrels.
A hotspot for new mammal species
This isn’t the first time a student has made a big find in the same area. In 2017, another Portsmouth undergraduate, Grant Smith, discovered fossils of two new mammal species thought to be among humanity’s earliest relatives.
Dr. Steve Sweetman, a researcher at the University of Portsmouth, also worked on this new discovery.
“This is a remarkable find that reminds me of when Grant found those extraordinary eutherian mammal teeth,” said Dr. Sweetman.
“When I first saw Grant’s specimens, my jaw dropped – and I had exactly the same reaction to Ben’s multituberculate jaw. It’s incredible that Durlston Bay keeps delivering such significant mammal discoveries by our undergraduate students.”
Evolution insights from tiny jaw
Beyond the scientific importance, the discovery highlights the value of collaborative research.
“Looking back now that the discovery has been published, I am amazed at how many people it took to describe this little mammal,” said Professor David Martill.
“I especially appreciated that all team members were University staff or present and former students – a true team effort including academics, technicians, alumni, and students with diverse talents across three departments.”
The fossil helps researchers better understand how early mammals survived during the age of dinosaurs. While multituberculates lived through the mass extinction that wiped out dinosaurs, they eventually died out during the Oligocene, around 33 million years ago.
With over 200 known species, multituberculates were the most diverse group of mammals in the Mesozoic era. They filled many ecological roles – some burrowed, others climbed trees. This new discovery adds to what we know about their evolution and survival.
And it serves as a reminder that major scientific contributions can come from anyone – even a 22-year-old student on a windy beach in Dorset.
Image Credit: Hamzah Imran
The full study was published in the journal Proceedings of the Geologists Association.
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