The Booth Museum of Natural History is set to reopen its doors to visitors and the community - with new displays of recent dinosaur discoveries.

For the first time, visitors will be able to see a fossil which has excited scientists as it is believed to indicate a new species of pterosaur from the age of the dinosaurs.

Paleontologist Roy Smith of Portsmouth University visited the museum’s geological collections in February last year and discovered a fragment of a jawbone, donated to the museum over 100 years ago, that belonged to a previously undiscovered flying reptile that may have been the size of a magpie.

Unfortunately, the fragment is too small to base a new species on and it is unlikely more of the specimen will ever be found.

Hedley Swain, CEO of the Royal Pavilion and Museums Trust, said: “It’s wonderful to have the Booth Museum reopen after such a long time.

“It’s fascinating to know that the items in the collection, many of which are millions of years old, are still relevant to modern experts and improve our knowledge of natural history.”

The museum is the last of the trust’s five sites to reopen since the national lockdown eased earlier this year.

Visitors can check out the museum’s expeditions from this Saturday - admission is free.

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