Along the UK’s picturesque Jurassic Coast, sports enthusiasts fossils stumbled upon a monumental discovery: a giant 150-million-year-old skull belonging to a marine reptile.
Such a chance revelation triggered an elaborate mission to recover the fossil of epic proportions, which involved experts descending the steep cliffs in search of the remains of the prehistoric creature.
The massive skull, the result of meticulous studies, is considered to be from a species previously unknown to science. He became the main star of the new BBC documentary, ‘Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster’.
The Jurassic Coast, known for revealing the remains of extinct animals, provided an extraordinary setting for the unique discovery.
Discovery of the giant skull
The fossil of a large marine predator – Image: BBC Studios/Reproduction
Although the region is famous for its continuous production of fossils, finding the skull of an immense sea monster on the cliff was an extraordinary surprise. The archaeologists’ mission, sparked by the chance revelation, became the search for the rest of the giant creature.
Using drones to explore the cliff, the team identified possible traces of the creaturethis led to an expedition to verify such evidence.
Steve Etches, a fossil expert and owner of the Etches Collection Museum in Kimmeridge, led the mission to recover the pliosaur skull.
Pliosaurs, one of the largest marine predators, inhabited Earth’s oceans and hunted prey such as ichthyosaurs.
Extraordinary marine creature – Image: Getty Images/Reproduction
In the documentary, David Attenborough explores how Etches and his team managed to recover the fossil from a challenging position.
With the collaboration of an international team of scientists, the program investigates the behavior and hunting strategies of the pliosaur in life.
When employing visual effects Advanced and scanning technologies, the documentary provides a fascinating look at the sea monster, offering never-before-seen information about the newly discovered species.
The skull will be displayed at the Etches Collection Museum, giving the public a unique opportunity to explore this intriguing chapter of ancient history.
