Found recently on the Dorset coast of southwestern England was the skull of an enormous, prehistoric seagoing reptile measuring nearly 8 feet long (2.4 meters). Experts estimate that the entire creature could have been more than 52 feet long. A Tyrannosaurus rex would have been tiny in comparison.

Strong neck muscles and enormous jaws allowed the creature, a pliosaur, to crunch and shake its prey to pieces. Four paddlelike limbs propelled it through the water.

The skull, found by a local collector, will be on display at the Dorset County Museum. Similar specimens have been found in the Arctic Ocean and Mexico. Some authorities hope that further portions of the Dorset pliosaur will be found in the same area as the skull (Haroon Siddique and agencies, "Fossilised Skull of 'Sea Monster' Pliosaur Found on Dorset Coast," The Guardian, Oct. 27, 2009).