New dinosaur species is named after Surrey quarry manager who died the year BEFORE it was unearthed
The rhino-sized plant-eater, around 5m long and up to two tonnes, takes its name from 'palus', the Latin for swamp, reflecting England's ancient wetlands.Will Proudlove, who died aged 35, never knew the fossil found at his quarry a year later would be named Paludohadros proudlovii in his honour.
Scientists have now formally identified the remains as an entirely new genus and species, Paludohadros proudlovii, 125 million years old and named in his honour.
His wife Rachael said the family were 'absolutely overjoyed and honoured that Will's name and legacy will live on in this dinosaur.'
The juvenile specimen was roughly the size of a rhino at death but, with bones still developing, could have doubled in size as an adult.
The site in Surrey is near where the famous predatory dinosaur Baryonyx was first discovered.
