Sea monster fossil found in Dorset
The fossilised skull of the pliosaur was found in Dorset
The fossilised skull of a giant sea monster has been discovered on the south coast of England.
Measuring around 7.5 ft long, the discovery is believed to have belonged to a pliosaur, a predator which would have been found in oceans around 150 million years ago when dinosaurs dominated the world's landscape.
It is thought that the entire creature could have measured up to 53 ft in length and weighed 12 tonnes, meaning humans and even the Tyrannosaurus Rex would have been nothing more than a mouthful for the beast.
The fossil - which has been bought by Dorset County Council using Heritage Lottery funding - was found along the Jurassic Coast, a stretch of coastline that is England's first World Heritage site and is home to rocks spanning around 185 million years of history.
It could also potentially be the largest pliosaur fossil ever found.
Take action
- Find out more about amazing dinosaur discoveries
- Have your say on the creationism versus evolution debate
- Visit some of the UK's World Heritage Sites
Palaeontologist Richard Forrest said the find was "jaw dropping".
He told the BBC: "What is fantastic about this new skull, not only is it absolutely enormous, but it is pretty much in 3D and not much distorted."
SIDEWAYS News for fresh perspectives
Comments
How FANTASTIC !
Charmouth here we come!!
Amazed and terrified in equal measure