Giant pliosaur find

The fossilised skull of a colossal "sea monster" has been unearthed along the UK's Jurassic Coast. . .

And based on [its] length of 2.4m (7.9ft), it is estimated that the creature would have measured between 10 and 16m (33-52ft) from tip to tail, and would have weighed in at a hefty 7-12 tonnes.

This means it could rival recent finds made in Svalbard, where beasts dubbed "The Monster" and "Predator X" were thought to have measured 15m-long (49ft), and in Mexico, where the "Monster of Aramberri" was discovered in 2002, and is believed to have been of similar dimensions.

Full article here. The skull appears to have eroded out of a cliff, the finder waiting four years for it to fully emerge -- so it is entirely possible that the rest of the critter is still there, waiting to be uncovered.

More coverage at the Jurassic Coast website.

Posted by David on October 27, 2009 9:46 AM