An artist and fossil hunter, Phil Jacobs stumbled upon a game-changing discovery in April 2022 on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast.
What he found wasn’t just any rock—it was the snout of a pliosaur, a fearsome marine reptile dubbed the ‘ocean T-Rex.’
This led to the unearthing of a 6ft-long skull, one of the largest and most complete pliosaur skulls ever found, and it might just belong to a brand-new species.
This 2-meter-long skull, dating back 150 million years to the Jurassic period, belonged to a creature that ruled the ancient oceans. Pliosaurs were the stuff of nightmares, with massive heads, short necks, and jaws packed with razor-sharp, conical teeth.
They were the top dogs of their time, much like T-Rex on land. This skull’s pristine condition—every bone intact, the lower jaw perfectly meshed with the upper skull—makes it a rare treasure, offering scientists a front-row seat to study these ancient sea monsters.
A Race Against the Clock
The discovery kicked off with Phil Jacobs’ sharp eye. While walking near Kimmeridge Bay, he noticed a 16-inch-long fossilized snout, complete with teeth, protruding from the sand.
Realizing its importance, he marked the spot with a piece of wood and hightailed it to the Etches Collection Museum of Jurassic Marine Life (The Etches Collection), where he alerted his friend Steve Etches, a celebrated paleontologist.
Etches, who’s spent decades scouring the Jurassic Coast for fossils, knew they had something special.
He and his team returned to the beach and traced the snout’s origin to a crumbling cliff face, where the rest of the skull was still lodged halfway up. Extracting it was no walk in the park.
The team had to dangle from ropes, carefully chiseling away at the mudstone to free the fossil without damaging it. Time was ticking—erosion was eating away at the cliff, threatening to send the skull tumbling into the sea.
The Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a paleontologist’s dream, with rock layers spanning the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods.
But its constant erosion is a double-edged sword: it exposes fossils like this one but also puts them at risk of being lost forever.
The team’s quick action saved this skull, but they’re still hoping to find the rest of the skeleton, which might still be hidden in the cliff.
A New Species on the Horizon?
What sets this skull apart isn’t just its size—it’s the clues it holds about pliosaurs. One standout feature is a high head crest, not seen in all pliosaur species, which could mean this is a new species altogether.
Steve Etches called it “one of the best fossils I’ve ever worked on. What makes it unique is it’s complete. The lower jaw and the upper skull are meshed together, as they would be in life.”
That level of preservation is like hitting the paleontological jackpot, letting scientists peek into the creature’s biology like never before.
The skull suggests the pliosaur was a giant, possibly stretching 10-12 meters long. Its bite force, estimated to match a T-Rex’s, could crush bones with ease.
Evidence from other pliosaur fossils even shows bite marks on their own kind, hinting these beasts weren’t picky about their meals.
With 130 razor-sharp teeth lining its crocodile-like jaw, this pliosaur was a true “sea rex,” dominating the Jurassic oceans.
Busting Myths About Pliosaurs
You might think pliosaurs were just beefed-up versions of modern sharks or crocodiles, but this skull tells a different story.
That high head crest isn’t just for show—it might have played a role in mating displays, like a peacock’s tail, or even housed sensory organs to detect prey in murky waters.
This shakes up the idea that all pliosaurs were cut from the same cloth, revealing a surprising diversity among these top predators.
Another assumption bites the dust: pliosaurs weren’t just fish-chompers. Their massive jaws and bone-crushing bite force suggest they took on bigger prey, like other marine reptiles. This skull’s features, combined with its sheer size, paint a picture of a predator far more complex and versatile than we once thought.
Each new find like this one rewrites a bit of the pliosaur story, showing us how much we still have to learn about these ancient rulers of the deep.
The Jurassic Coast: A Fossil Hunter’s Paradise
The Jurassic Coast is a 95-mile stretch of coastline that’s been coughing up fossils for centuries. Its cliffs, layered with rock from 250 million years of Earth’s history, have yielded everything from ammonites to ichthyosaurs.
This pliosaur skull is just the latest gem, but it’s one of the most significant. The coast’s status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site draws scientists and tourists alike, all eager to glimpse the past.
The Etches Collection Museum, founded by Steve Etches in Kimmeridge, is the heart of this fossil frenzy. It’s packed with Jurassic marine life, from tiny shells to massive reptiles, and now this pliosaur skull is its crown jewel.
The museum doesn’t just store these finds—it brings them to life, showing visitors how creatures like pliosaurs swam, hunted, and ruled the seas 150 million years ago.
The Heroes of the Find
Phil Jacobs and Steve Etches are the dynamic duo behind this discovery. Jacobs, with his knack for spotting fossils, turned a casual beach walk into a scientific breakthrough.
Etches, a self-taught paleontologist with a lifelong passion for the Jurassic Coast, led the charge to excavate and preserve the skull. His museum is a love letter to the region’s prehistoric past, and this find is its biggest chapter yet.
Their teamwork shows what fossil hunting is all about: curiosity, grit, and a bit of luck. They’re not just uncovering bones—they’re piecing together a world that’s been gone for millions of years, and sharing it with the rest of us.
A Treasure Trove for Science
This skull isn’t just a cool museum piece—it’s a scientific goldmine. Its pristine condition lets researchers dive deep into the pliosaur’s anatomy, from its sensory systems to its feeding habits.
That high head crest, for instance, might hint at social behaviors, like how modern animals use flashy features to attract mates or scare off rivals. Or it could have been a sensory hub, helping the pliosaur navigate the dark, predator-filled waters of the Jurassic.
The skull’s size also tells us about the ecosystem it lived in. A pliosaur this big would’ve been the top dog, shaping the food web by preying on everything from fish to other reptiles. By studying it, scientists can better understand the balance of life in the Jurassic oceans, and how these giants fit into the bigger picture.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Skull Length | 2 meters (6ft 5in) |
| Age | 150 million years (Jurassic period) |
| Preservation | Nearly complete, with all bones intact |
| Unique Trait | High head crest, possibly indicating a new species |
| Bite Force | Comparable to T-Rex, capable of crushing bones |
| Estimated Body Length | 10-12 meters |
| Teeth | 130 razor-sharp, conical teeth |
Saving the Past from the Sea
The Jurassic Coast’s erosion is a blessing and a curse. It reveals fossils like this skull, but it also puts them in danger.
Parts of this skull had already fallen to the beach when Jacobs found it, and more could’ve been lost if the team hadn’t acted fast. There’s even hope that the rest of the skeleton is still in the cliff, but finding it will be a race against the elements.
This underscores the need to protect fossil sites like the Jurassic Coast. Museums like the Etches Collection play a big role, not just by housing finds but by funding research and raising awareness. Every fossil saved is a piece of history preserved for future generations.
Bringing the Past to Life
The skull is now on display at the Etches Collection Museum, where it’s wowing visitors and scientists alike. Sir David Attenborough featured it in a BBC documentary, Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster (BBC iPlayer), which aired on New Year’s Day 2024.
He called it “one of the greatest predators the world has ever seen,” and it’s easy to see why. The documentary followed the skull’s journey from cliff to museum, shining a spotlight on the people and science behind it.
For locals and tourists, the skull is a tangible link to a lost world. It sparks curiosity about paleontology and the creatures that once swam where we now walk. It’s also a reminder of how fragile these connections are, and why places like the Jurassic Coast matter.
Looking Ahead
This 6ft pliosaur skull is more than a fossil—it’s a window into a time when giants ruled the seas. It challenges what we thought we knew about pliosaurs, from their diversity to their dominance. As scientists continue to study it, we’ll likely learn even more about how these “sea rexes” lived, hunted, and shaped their world.
The discovery also highlights the power of passion and persistence. From Phil Jacobs’ chance find to Steve Etches’ tireless work, this skull is a testament to what humans can uncover when they look closely at the world around them.
Who knows what other secrets the Jurassic Coast is hiding, waiting for the next curious soul to find them?
