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[EN VIDÉO] Madagascar: Discovery of numerous fossils in a flooded cave Experts from the National Science Foundation believe they have discovered the largest deposit of…
An extraordinary discovery could teach us a lot about one of the most fearsome predators of all time: the pliosaur. A skull has been discovered on the Jurassic Coast, on the coast of Dorset, a coastal region in southern England. The fossil is one of the most complete ever found, measuring 2 meters long. The discovery was made during a walk on the beach, where fossil enthusiast Phil Jacobs spotted the tip of the pliosaur's snout. A drone study then made it possible to locate the rest of the skull on a cliff inaccessible on foot… Therefore, it took an operation of several months to extract the fossil by rappelling without damaging it. For scientists, this discovery is a unique opportunity to learn more about these prehistoric creatures and their ecosystem, given the erosion status of the region.
The king of marine apex predators
The pliosaur dominated the seas and oceans during the Mesozoic Era (−252.2 to −66.0 Ma). Measuring 10 to 12 meters long, it could deliver a bite with a force of 33,000 newtons to pale the largest of our crocodiles with its 16,000 newtons (the species with the strongest jaw strike these days). There were also four powerful fins that allowed it to move at very high speeds, and a row of long, razor-sharp teeth. Our particularly large British specimen seems promising: the few vertebrae attached to the skull suggest that the rest of its skeleton may well still be there somewhere in the cliff. An exciting challenge for scientists who are under pressure from the speed of erosion in the region.