London: The skull of a gigantic sea monster was discovered in Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, off the coast of England.
The fossil, which is 2 metres (almost 7 feet) — longer than most human beings — is one of the most complete specimens of its type ever discovered, according to BBC.
The ancient marine reptile, known as pliosaur, ruled the seas nearly 150 million years ago.
The complex operation to extract the huge fossilised skull will be shown in a David Attenborough BBC documentary three weeks later, on New Year’s Day.
The front teeth of the pliosaur are long and razor-sharp, capable of a deadly bite. The ridges on the back of its teeth helped in slicing through flesh, making it an efficient hunter.
According to The 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.
Pliosaurs preyed on dolphin-like creatures and other pliosaurs, scientists told the BBC.
“It’s one of the best fossils I’ve ever worked on. What makes it unique is that 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.
