Ichthyosaur bones found off U.K. coast

The snout, teeth, vertebrae and ribcage of a 15-foot reptile that lived off the coast of England 190 million years ago have been found.

Geologist Paddy Howe, who is monitoring work on the site in Lyme Regis, says the ichthyosaur looked a bit like a dolphin but was a reptile that swam in the sea at the same time dinosaurs roamed the land, the BBC reported Friday.

The remains were found during work to prevent landslides along the coastline and took months to painstakingly remove.

"Now it's a case of waiting to identify the exact species and how rare the fossil is before deciding whether or not to try and find the rest of it," Howe said. "We hope that the fossil will eventually go on display at Lyme Regis Museum."

Copyright 2005 by United Press International