Pretty scary!

The fossilised skull of a colossal ‘sea monster’ has been unearthed along the Jurassic Coast, which spans Dorset and East Devon. The exact location of the find is not being revealed, as Dorset County Council does not want to encourage people to head to the spot. The area is unstable and prone to rock falls and landslides.

The ‘monster’ is a Pliosaur, a ferocious predator which ruled the oceans around 150 million years ago. The skull itself is 2.4 metres long and the creature could have measured up to 16 metres in length. Pliosaura had short necks and huge, crocodilian-like heads that contained immensely powerful jaws and a set of huge, razor-sharp teeth.

The fossil, which was found by a local collector, has been purchased by Dorset County Council. It was bought with money from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and it will now be scientifically analysed, prepared and then put on public display at Dorset County Museum.

According to the experts these things were big enough and powerful enough to bite a small car in half!