The discovery of a pliosaur on the Jurassic Coast is stirring excitement, as it’s “very likely a new species,” adding a thrilling chapter to our knowledge of prehistoric marine reptiles and their evolution
A team of fossil hunters, led by collector Steve Etches, has uncovered what is thought to be the most complete Jurassic pliosaur skull ever found. Embedded high up on a cliff in Dorset, UK, Etches and his collaborator Chris Moore spent weeks suspended on the cliff face, digging out the fossil before winching it to safety. “This is the pinnacle, really, of the things that I’ve been involved with,” Etches told New Scientist . “All I want from that is more information. The Science is the thing that draws me in,” he says. “What does it show you? What does it tell you?” “It’s very likely a new species ,” says Judyth Sassoon, a leading expert on pliosaur s at the University of Bristol, UK. Of particular interest is the fossil’s large sagittal crest, a ridge of bone at the rear of the skull. “The height of the crest might be an indication of differences between the male and female sexes,” she says. Intriguingly, the crest may not be fully formed, suggesting the animal was still...