The remarkably well preserved skull of a gigantic pliosaur, a prehistoric sea monster, has been discovered on a beach in the county of Dorset in southern England, and it could reveal secrets about these awe-inspiring creatures.
Pliosaurs once ruled the oceans during the era of roaming dinosaurs. The recently discovered fossil is approximately 150 million years old, making it nearly 3 million years younger than any other previously identified pliosaur. Scientists are currently scrutinizing the specimen to ascertain whether it represents a potentially new species to the scientific community. The remarkably well
Initially detected in the spring of 2022, the fossil, along with the intricate excavation process and the ongoing scientific examination, will be featured in the upcoming BBC documentary “Attenborough and the Jurassic Sea Monster.” Presented by the renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough, the documentary is set to air on February 14 on PBS.
The carnivorous marine reptile was of such immense proportions that its skull, extracted from a cliff along Dorset’s “Jurassic Coast,” measures nearly 2 meters (6.6 feet) in length. In its fossilized state, the specimen weighs over half a metric ton. Pliosaurs of this kind could reach lengths of up to 15 meters (50 feet), as noted by Encyclopaedia Britannica.