Paleontology expert Chris Moore found the remains of a 'giant sea monster' after he and colleague Steve Etches removed it from a rock in Dorset. According to scientists working on the discovery, it could be the skull of a pliosaur, an ancient reptile whose bite force exceeded that of Tyrannosaurus rex in combat.
The huge pliosaur was recovered from a beach in the town of Kimmeridge in Dorset, which lies along the Jurassic Coast. The area is famous for its fossils, and while anyone might expect to find ammonites walking the beaches, finding a 12-metre-long pliosaur fragment is a very special find.
Fossils have been collected along the Jurassic Coast for hundreds of years. This was once a shallow, warm sea and very rich in wildlife, but the English Channel is constantly eroding. Since we also experience large storms, they wash away the soft clay and constantly reveal new fossils
Moore said IFLScienceto.
After the discovery, Moore contacted his friend David Attenborough to ask if the BBC would be interested in documenting the discovery. The answer, of course, was a big yes, and those who are curious can watch the film of the discovery on the first day of the new year.
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