Sea monster discovered

AP

SEA MONSTER: Paleontologist Richard Forrest measures the fossil jaw bone of a pliosaur found on the southern coast of England.

AP

GIANT OF THE SEA: Richard Forrest with the jaw bone of a pliosaur, a ferocious predator that lived in the oceans 150 million years ago.

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The fossilised skull of a giant sea monster has been found off England's southern coast.

The fossil came from a pliosaur, a ferocious predator that lived in the oceans 150 million years ago.

The skull was discovered in Dorset by a collector and measures 2.4m in length. The discovery was announced on Tuesday.

Scientists believe the creature would have been about 16 metres long.

David Martill, a paleontologist from the University of Portsmouth, says pliosaurs had short necks and huge, crocodile-like heads with powerful jaws and a set of razor-sharp teeth.

He said they used paddle-like limbs to propel their bodies through the water and were generally carnivores.

The skull will be put on display in a Dorset museum.

- AP