Giant sea beast found in UK

October 27, 2009

@TheSun

THE huge jaw and skull of the biggest sea predator ever have been found on a British coast. The pliosaur was 60ft long, weighed 15 TONNES and had a bite FOUR times harder than a T-Rex.

Fossil hunter Kevan Sheehan, 62, found the first piece of skull near Charmouth, Dorset, in 2002. He collected 25 more bits over the next five years.

Monster ... pliosaur was 'T-Rex of the deep'

Experts assembled it and realised it belonged to the biggest known sea reptile which ruled the waves 150 million years ago.

Dino expert Dr Richard Forrest said: "This is the most powerful predator that has existed.

"Its eight-foot jaw would open to five feet. In fact a T Rex would be breakfast for this.

"Its giant flippers would give it great acceleration."

The pliosaur dwarfs the previous largest of its kind - a 50ft sea monster found in the Arctic.

Dorset County Museum has paid Kevan �10,000 to display it. He said: "I was always jealous of people's finds. Now I can say 'that's not a fossil - this pliosaur...now that's a fossil!'"