The Isle of Wright, once the center of the short-lived Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Wihtwara, is separated from the English mainland by the Solvent, a strait measuring 32 kilometers in length and a width ranging from 4 to 8 kilometers. The Hurst Spit, located on the western end of the Solvent, shortens the range to only 1.6 kilometers.
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Istiodactylus was a genus in the order of Pterosauria, an order whose named is derived from Greek and translates as “winged lizard.” Istiodactylus existed during the early Cretaceous period, about 120 million years ago. It had a wingspan of 4 to 5 meters, was heavily built, and featured a rounded snout resembling a duckbill. Despite the oddly shaped snout, the mouth was fitted with sharp teeth and allowed the animal to easily tear into any food source. A typical diet consisted mostly of fish, but istiodactylus was not shy in picking up food scraps from carrion.
