The skull of a colossal pliosaur, an ancient marine reptile that ruled the oceans approximately 150 million years ago, has been extracted from the cliffs of Dorset's Jurassic Coast. According to BBC, the 2 metre-long fossil is one of the most complete specimens of its type ever discovered. The scientific community hopes the specimen will offer invaluable insights into the behavior and physiology of the ferocious predator.
The skull itself is longer than most humans are, so one can imagine how massive the creature was. An apex predator in the ocean, the reptile's front teeth were long and razor-sharp and were capable of delivering a deadly bite. The ridges on the back of its teeth aided in slicing through flesh, making it an efficient hunter. As per Guardian, the pliosaur's skull has survived with dozens of razor-sharp teeth with which it once ripped apart the flesh of its victims, including ichthyosaurs.
Fossil evidence even suggests that pliosaurs, including this newfound specimen, preyed upon other pliosaurs.
"It's one of the best fossils I've ever worked on. What makes it unique is it's complete," paleontologist Steve Etches told BBC News.
''The lower jaw and the upper skull are meshed together, as they would be in life. Worldwide, there are hardly any specimens ever found to that level of detail. And if they are, a lot of the bits are missing, whereas this, although it's slightly distorted - it's got every bone present,'' he added.
The complex and dangerous operation to extract the gigantic fossilised skull will be shown in a David Attenborough BBC documentary on New Year's Day.
''The animal would have been so massive that I think it would have been able to prey effectively on anything unfortunate enough to be in its space,'' said Dr Andre Rowe from Bristol University.
''I do not doubt that this was sort of like an underwater T. Rex,'' he added.
It all started when paleontologist Steve Etches' friend and fellow fossil enthusiast Phil Jacobs came across the tip of the snout of the pliosaur during a stroll along a beach near Kimmeridge Bay on southern England's World Heritage Jurassic Coast. They took the fossil fragment to safety on a makeshift stretcher. Months were spent delicately cleaning and examining the skull.
Mr Etches believes that more parts of the creature lie in the cliffs of Dorset.
''I stake my life 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 line is going back by feet a year. And it won't be very long before the rest of the pliosaur drops out and gets lost. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,'' he said.
