Remarkable Discovery: Enormous Fossilized Skull of Ancient Sea Creature Unearthed on England's 'Jurassic Coast'
Unearthed on Dorset's 'Jurassic Coast', a colossal pliosaur skull emerges as a gateway to unravel the mysteries of these awe-inspiring prehistoric sea monsters, once feared as the unrivaled apex predators of the deep oceans
Get the latest scientific news by subscribing to CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Delve into the universe with updates on exciting discoveries and advancements in the world of science. The well-preserved skull of a massive pliosaur, a prehistoric sea creature, was found on a beach in Dorset, southern England, and it holds the potential to unlock mysteries about these incredible beings.
Pliosaurs once ruled the seas while dinosaurs wandered the earth. An approximately 150 million-year-old fossil has been unearthed, making it nearly 3 million years younger than any other pliosaur discovery. Scientists are examining the specimen to see if it might represent a new species. First observed in spring 2022, this fossil, its intricate excavation, and the ongoing scientific analysis will be featured in the upcoming BBC documentary "Attenborough and the Jurassic Sea Monster," hosted by renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough, airing on PBS on February 14.
The carnivorous marine reptile discovered along Dorset's "Jurassic Coast" had an enormous size, with a skull nearly 2 meters (6.6 feet) long. When fossilized, the specimen weighs over half a metric ton. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, Pliosaurs species could reach lengths of up to 15 meters (50 feet).
This illustration shows a pliosaur (left) with jaws open, about to attack an ichthyosaur in the ocean.
BBC Studios
The fossil was discovered deep within the cliff, approximately 11 meters (36 feet) above ground and 15 meters (49 feet) down the cliff, as local paleontologist Steve Etches revealed to CNN via video call. The extraction of the fossil presented a dangerous challenge as the crew worked against time and the threat of summer storms and erosion potentially jeopardizing the rare and important discovery.
Etches was first informed about the existence of the fossils by his friend Philip Jacobs, who called him after discovering the pliosaur's snout on the beach. "Right from the start, we were quite excited because its jaws closed together, which indicates that the fossil is complete," Etches said.
Fossilized Trisauopodiscus tracks (left) and modern bird tracks (right).
Abrahams et al.; 2023; PLOS ONE
Millions of years before the first birds existed, researchers discovered that mysterious animals with birdlike feet roamed the Earth. Using drones to map the cliff and locate the exact position of the pliosaurs, Etches and his team spent three weeks suspended in midair, carefully chiseling into the rock to uncover the fossil.
"We miraculously managed to remove it," he stated, "since we only had one day left to get it out, which we did at 9:30 p.m."
Etches undertook the painstaking task of restoring the skull. At one point, he found it "very disillusioning" as the mud and bone had cracked, but "over the following days and weeks, it was a matter of... like a jigsaw, putting it all back together. It took a considerable amount of time, but we managed to recover every bit of bone."
"It's remarkable that this fossil is preserved in such excellent condition," Etches commented. "It perished in the ideal environment, with ample sedimentation... so once it died and sank to the seabed, it was rapidly buried."
Sir David Attenborough presents the BBC documentary "Attenborough and the Jurassic Sea Monster," airing February 14 on PBS.
BBC Studios
Terrifying ruler of the ocean
The well-preserved fossil reveals the traits that distinguished the pliosaur as a truly terrifying predator, preying on animals like the dolphin-like ichthyosaur. With massive, razor-sharp teeth, this apex predator relied on a range of senses, including sensory pits on its skull that may have enabled it to sense changes in water pressure, as documented.
An illustration shows Gorgosaurus feeding on a smaller dinosaur in a Cretaceous forest scene.
Julius Csotonyi
First tyrannosaur fossil discovered with its last meal perfectly preserved in its stomach
The pliosaur's bite was twice as powerful as a saltwater crocodile, currently holding the record for the world's most powerful jaws, according to Emily Rayfield, a professor of paleobiology at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, who was featured in the documentary. She stated that the prehistoric marine predator would have been able to cut through a car.
Additionally, Andre Rowe, a postdoctoral research associate of paleobiology at the University of Bristol, commented that "the animal would have been so massive that I believe it would have been able to effectively prey on anything unfortunate enough to be in its vicinity."
