Pliosaurus: What the Revival of an Extinct Species Means to Paleontology

 by Camila Seoane Argudin

A recent and unique discovery in the coast of England, stirred the scientific community. A 150-million-year-old skull of a Pliosaurus, a ferocious aquatic reptile that once roamed the oceans, was just discovered in the coasts of Dorset, hidden in the depths of rubble, stone, and sand. 

The Pliosaurus is known as the ‘underwater Trex’, due to its ferocious nature. This reptile was10-12m long, with four powerful flipper-like limbs to propel itself at high speed, and a long snout to catch its prey. "The animal would have been so massive that I think it would have been able to prey effectively on anything that was unfortunate enough to be in its space," said Dr Andre Rowe from Bristol University. 

Palaeontologists found a skull that spanned around 2 metres long, with 130 razor sharp teeth somewhere along the coast in Dorset . However, what surprised the scientists and made this finding so extraordinary was the fact that the skull was perfectly preserved and showed well defined features, as the lower jaw and the upper skull were meshed together. Almost all bones in this fossil were in place, and there were no major distortions or imperfections, like most fossils usually have. 

But what does this recent discovery tell us about past life on Earth? Well, this discovery is seen as a whole new chapter for Pliosarus and for our understanding of extinct species, as it brings to light so many things that were once unknown to palaeontologists and people in general. This perfectly preserved fossil will help scientists paint a fuller picture of the anatomy and ecology of the species. Specifically, it will allow researchers to understand its feeding habits, how it would hunt, showing just how truly powerful this species was. So far, they have predicted that it had around 33,000 newtons of force just in its bite (that is around 50 times what a human has!), making it the animal with the strongest bite ever recorded. Scientists also discovered that it mostly fed on the commonly-known Plesiosaurs, and the dolphin-like Ichthyosaur. Fossil evidence has also revealed that it would have even feasted on other Pliosaurs, making it the apex predator of the ocean. Furthermore, this newly discovered specimen has features that suggest it had some extremely acute senses.

Its snout was dotted with small pits that may have been the site of glands to help it detect changes in water pressure made by prospective prey. On its head is a hole that would have housed a parietal, or third, eye. This light-sensitive structure might have helped this reptile in locating other animals, especially when surfacing from deep, murky waters. Some lizards, frogs, and fish alive today share these structures with Pliosaurus. This helps palaeontologists to better understand ancient life on Earth. 

Pliosaurus, once lost to the depths of time, now stands as a testament to the power and complexity of ancient life. Through this ancient marine predator, we glimpse a world vastly different from our own, where the oceans were ruled by colossal reptiles. It also shows that beyond the differences, evolution maintains shared features with modern organisms. In the wake of this discovery, we are left with a profound appreciation for the intricate web of life that has shaped our planet across millions of years.