What was biting Pliosaur bones in the Late Jurassic Ocean?

The discovery of a propodial bone (part of the flipper) of a small Pliosaur from the 157-152 million year old Kimmeridge Clay Formation has revealed some interesting new features.

Narrow bite marks are observed on the bone whilst at one end ther is clearly a bite mark which indicates a bit of the bone has been bitten off.

We do see lots of bite marks on many of the bones collected from the Kimmeridge Clay Formation although it is often not clear whether the marks were made during an attack on a living creature or were post-mortem and made by scavengers.

Watch the full story by clicking on the You Tube video link above to discover what creature made these bite marks.

The Etches Collection Museum is located in Kimmeridge, Dorset on the World Heritage Coast and contains a nationally accredited and designated collection of over 2500 fossils from the Upper Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay Formation. The collection provides a major resource for education and research as well as being a major tourist attraction.