The Vectidromeusholotype specimen, IWCMS 2023.102, was discovered in sediments of the Wessex Formation near Sudmoor Point on the Isle of Wight, England. It consists of an incomplete skeleton presumably belonging to a juvenile individual, including partial dorsal and caudal vertebrae, both ilia, the left pubis, both ischia, an incomplete right femur and tibia, a left femur, tibia and fibula, and a partial left pes. Although the specimen is a juvenile, it differs from juveniles of Hypsilophodon and comes from much lower in the Wessex Formation, suggesting it represents a distinct species.[1]
In 2023, Longrich et al. describedVectidromeus insularis as a new genus and species of hypsilophodontid ornithopod based on these fossil remains. The generic name, "Vectidromeus", combines "Vectis", the Roman name for the Isle of Wight, with the Greek word δρομεύς, "dromeus", meaning "runner". The specific name, "insularis", is a Latin word meaning "insular".[1]
References
^ abcLongrich, Nicholas R.; Martill, David M.; Munt, Martin; Green, Mick; Penn, Mark; Smith, Shaun (2023-09-13). "Vectidromeus insularis, a new hypsilophodontid dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight, England". Cretaceous Research. 154: 105707. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105707.