More parts of the creature are believed to lie in the cliffs of Dorset.
The skull of a colossal pliosaur, an ancient marine reptile that dominated the oceans about 150 million years ago, has been recovered from the cliffs of Dorset's Jurassic coast. According to the BBC, the two-meter-long fossil is one of the most complete specimens of its kind ever discovered. The scientific community hopes the specimen will provide invaluable insight into the behavior and physiology of the wild predator.
The skull itself is longer than most humans, so you can imagine how massive the creature was. The reptile's front teeth were long and razor-sharp, making it an apex predator in the ocean that could deliver a deadly bite. The grooves on the back of its teeth helped cut through flesh, making it an efficient hunter. According to the Guardian, the pliosaur's skull is preserved with dozens of razor-sharp teeth that it once used to tear the flesh of its victims, including ichthyosaurs.
Fossil evidence even suggests that pliosaurs, including this newly discovered specimen, hunted other pliosaurs.
“It’s one of the best fossils I’ve ever worked on. What makes it unique is its completeness,” paleontologist Steve Etches told BBC News.
“The lower jaw and the upper skull are interlocked like in life.” There are hardly any specimens with this level of detail anywhere in the world. And if so, many parts are missing, whereas here, although slightly distorted, all the bones are there,” he added.
The complex and dangerous operation to recover the gigantic fossilized skull will be featured in a BBC documentary by David Attenborough on New Year's Day.
“The animal would have been so huge that I think it would have been able to effectively hunt anything that was unlucky enough to be in its space,” Dr. Andre Rowe from the University of Bristol.
“I have no doubt that this is something of an underwater T. Rex was,” he added.
It all started when friend of paleontologist Steve Etches and fossil enthusiast Phil Jacobs came across the tip of the pliosaur's snout while walking on the beach near Kimmeridge Bay on the World Heritage-listed Jurassic Coast in southern England. They carried the fossil fragment to safety on a makeshift stretcher. The skull was carefully cleaned and examined for months.
Mr Etches believes more parts of the creature lie in the cliffs of Dorset.
“I'm putting my life on the line, the rest of the animal is there.” And it really should come out because it's in a very rapidly eroding environment. This part of the cliff recedes by one meter every year. And it won't be long before the rest of the pliosaur gets out and gets lost. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he said.