A team of paleontologists has successfully discovered an ancient skull belonging to the apex predator of the sea – pliosaurus. This sea creature roamed the ocean around 150 million years ago and is now embedded in the cliffs of Dorset.
The fossil, which measures 2 meters in length, is one of the most complete specimens of its kind ever found. It offers new insights into the behavior of this ancient predator. The fossil was found in a nearly perfect state of preservation. What makes this discovery particularly rare is that it is almost fully intact, a characteristic that is rarer than people might think.
The main paleontologist clarified that the lower jaw and the upper section of the skull are fused together. It’s incredibly rare to find a specimen like this in the world with this level of detail. Even if there were any, many of the small pieces would be missing, but in this case, all the bones are present, although slightly distorted.
A paleontology enthusiast named Phil Jacobs discovered this pliosaur’s skull by chance. He noticed the tip of the creature’s snout sticking out through the pebbles. In order to locate the rest of the remains, the surrounding area was surveyed via drone. It was found that the skull was lying on the slope of a rock, but the only way to excavate it was to rappel down from the top. This meant working 15m above the beach. The fossilized remains took several months to clear and retrieve.
Several vertebrae attached to the skull have also been preserved. This may indicate that the rock that was once the sea floor may contain other parts of the skeleton. Scientists believe more fossils may be discovered over time because they are located in an environment that decomposes rather quickly, as weather and water erode several feet of the cliff line annually.
Paleobiologist Emily Rayfield studied large circular holes in the back of the skull, which helped her determine the size of the muscles that controlled the jaws of the pliosaurus. The creature had a jaw strength of approximately 33,000 newtons, which is twice as much as the most powerful jaws of modern animals – the sea crocodiles, which can only reach 15,000 newtons. To put this massive creature’s power into perspective, a lion’s jaw can exert a force of 4,000 newtons, a dog’s 7,000, and an average person’s only 700.
The predator may have eaten other sea reptiles, such as its long-necked relative Plesiosaurus and the dolphin-like Ichthyosaurus. Fossil evidence suggests that it may have also fed on other pliosaurs.