The Welsh archipelagoa cluster of islands. was a brutal place. Primitive mammals and strange armoured reptiles roamed through the dense and humid jungle. 

But chief amongst them all was an apex predator. The tiny dinosaur was only the size of a chicken, but it ruled the roost with its razor sharp teeth and long tail.

In the 1950s, four miniscule fossils were hauled from a crevice in a South Wales quarry.

For years, they lay forgotten in the vast stores of a London museum, hidden away in a drawer of crocodile bones.

Now, researchers have uncovered the fossils and come to an incredible conclusion. The bones belong to the oldest meat-eating dinosaur ever discovered in the UK. Scientists have named the new species Pendraig milneraePendraig means chief dragon in Middle Welsh. The dinosaur's name also honours palaeontologist Angela Milner. , Middle Welsh for "chief dragon". It lived more than 200 million years ago. 

There is no doubt: this is an extraordinary discovery. By the time its descendants were wiped out by an asteroid strike 66 million years ago, the chief dragon was already a fossil. 

"What's so interesting and important here is that we're getting to see the very early stages of the evolution of the dinosaurs," says scientist Dr Stephan Spiekman. 

The Pendraig may not sound that scary, but the theropodA group of dinosaurs that walked on two legs and often had feathers. Pigeons are theropods.  evolved into some of the most terrifying predators to ever roam the Earth. 

The spinosaurus crushed its prey with its crocodilian skull. The carnivorous tyrannosaurus snapped bones with its ginormous serrated teeth. 

Dinosaurs have long been objects of fascination. In 1993, millions watched a group of cloned velociraptors stalk terrified sightseers at the fictional Jurassic Park. 

But could Jurassic Park ever become a reality? Scientists point out that to clone dinosaurs, you first need their DNADeoxyribonucleic acid is the material in an organism that carries genetic information..

In February, researchers hailed a breakthrough when they found the oldest ancient DNA on record, belonging to a mammoth that died one million years ago. Still, to clone a dinosaur, you would need DNA at least 66 times older. 

There is another option. Dinosaurs still walk the earth. Today, we call them birds. 

American palaeontologist Jack Horner worked as an advisor on all four Jurassic Park films. Now in his 70s, he is hoping to build a dinosaur by reverse engineering a chicken. Already, embryosAn unborn or unhatched offspring in the process of development. show how a beak could transform into a snout. But even he admits the chickenosaurus would not be the same as an extinct creature.

Some critics say researchers should spend less time thinking about whether they could bring dinosaurs back to life, and more time thinking about whether they should. 

In the years since dinosaurs went extinct, the world has changed dramatically. Their homes and food sources have disappeared.

And nobody knows how humans and dinosaurs would coexist. Introducing a new top predator could result in an epic battle for resources.

But Horner is more optimistic about his creation. "I wouldn't expect dino-chickens to be the same as the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. They're going to be domestic animals that we don't have to worry about." 

Yes: It is possible, say some. Scientists know in theory how to clone the mighty creatures. One day, they may find the DNA they need. In the meantime, dozens are working on creating dinosaur replicas out of modern day birds. If they are successful, it will be an extraordinary moment for humanity. 

No: Dinosaurs will never again walk the Earth, say others. Researchers have never even come close to recreating a velociraptor or a stegosaurus.

Or... It could happen, but that does not mean that it should. If we have the science to resurrect creatures, we should use it to bring back recently extinct animals - or save the ones that are dying out. Many would argue this is a better use of the technology.