Bones from Jurassic sea creature found in Abingdon museum

Pliosaurs remains were discovered at the County Hall Museum and this has since led to the publishing of a ground-breaking research paper on May 10.

Palaeontologists from the University of Portsmouth, Prof David Martill and PhD student Megan Jacobs, found the vertebrae by chance during a visit to the museum to photograph a different skeleton in 2020.

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Pliosaurs were the apex predators of the Jurassic seas, reaching up to several metres in length.

Prof Martill said: “We know these pliosaurs were very fearsome animals swimming in the seas that covered Oxfordshire 145-152 million years ago.

“They had a massive skull with huge protruding teeth like daggers - as big, if not bigger than a T.rex, and certainly more powerful. 

“They were at the top of the marine food chain and probably preyed on ichthyosaurs, long-necked plesiosaurs and maybe even smaller marine crocodiles, simply by biting them in half and taking chunks off them.

“We know they were massacring smaller marine reptiles because you can see bite marks in ichthyosaur bones in examples on display in The Etches Collection in Dorset.”

The discovery in Abingdon is ground-breaking as it has enabled Prof Martill and Ms Jacobs to prove the true size of pliosaurs.

After conducting scans on the backbones, they now estimate the creatures to be between 9.8 and 14.4 metres in length.

Prior to this, it was not possible to prove that the Jurassic creatures were any longer than an average of six to seven metres.

Ms Jacobs explained that the discovery the pair made in Abingdon was truly remarkable.

She said: “It is really quite rare, this type of find.

“These things do not happen that often.

“I am sure there are lots of bones hiding in museums, waiting to be discovered, but you need someone to come along who knows what they are looking for.”

Dan Sancisi, manager of Abingdon County Hall Museum, explained that the find by Prof Martill and Ms Jacobs demonstrates the value of local museums.

He said: “We are thrilled by their discovery.

“New fossil evidence is often discovered in the drawers and stores of old collections.

“It demonstrates the value of museums to contemporary research and we are pleased to be a part of this finding.”

Councillor Nathan Ley has praised the discovery as another addition to Abingdon’s rich history.

He said: “Some of the most important scientific discoveries come about by chance, and this discovery of vertebrae from a truly gigantic pliosaur certainly meets that categorisation.

“And as their peer-reviewed publication clearly shows, the authors have since carried out a proper and thorough scientific investigation to confirm these findings, and I applaud them on their efforts and completeness.

“Abingdon is already the most historic town in the country, and we’ll be proud to add this episode to the story of our rich history.”