The discovery was made in an ancient lagoon in Poland. The jaws of the pliosaur were up to two and a half meters long.
Fossils of a marine monster known as a pliosaur, measuring ten meters in length and dating back 145 to 163 million years, were recently discovered in a mountainous area of Poland by a group of paleontologists.
Scientific data reveals that the pliosaur occupied the top of the food chain during its existence in the seas, with some growing up to twice the size of a modern orca.
Paleontologists believe that pliosaurs were the largest predators of ancient times, both on land and in the sea. They were long and slender, with snouts, fins, and large crocodile-like teeth.
These creatures would devour any animal living in the sea and some large terrestrial creatures that ventured into the ocean in search of food.
Above a T. Rex
The pliosaur was so large and heavy, with such a strong skeleton, that it could have easily devoured the famous Tyrannosaurus Rex (T. rex).
Various studies have shown that the jaws of the pliosaur were up to two and a half meters long and four and a half times more powerful than those of the T. rex.
More Fossils Found
In their article published in the Proceedings of the Geologists Association, the paleontologists also found fossilized remains of other creatures from the same era as the pliosaur, such as ancient crocodiles and turtles.
Researchers believe that marine turtles of the time ate snails and were preyed upon by giant crocodiles, which in turn were also devoured by pliosaurs. These specimens would feed on any animal they could catch in the water.