Across the Mesozoic Era, many aquatic reptiles hunted and skulked, but few seem better suited to the job than the Pliosaurus. These aquatic predators boasted large skulls and shorts necks, an efficient body plan that allowed for quick movements.

Inside their skulls were where the real threat lay: sharp curved teeth positioned to clamp down on large prey and hold them in place. With two specialized muscle groups in their jaws, Pliosaurus could hold on tight until their prey was defeated. With these attributes, Pliosaurus thrived for 110 million years across the Mesozoic.

This specimen is a showcase Pliosaurus fossil, a propodial bone that once made up a limb of these massive aquatic reptiles. Similar to the Plesiosaur, Pliosaurus used paddles to glide through the water, with the strength provided by these powerful propodial bones. The fossil dates to the Jurassic Period, when Pliosaurus were first beginning to terrorize the world's oceans.

The specimen comes complete with a certificate of authenticity. You can also explore more aquatic reptile fossils in the collection below!

With their short necks and large skulls, Pliosaurs evolved an efficient body plan that allowed them to spread out across the world’s oceans, from the Early Jurassic Period to their extinction at the end of the Cretaceous Period. Measuring on average 10 meters, Pliosaurs were big enough to swallow prey whole, which may have been a small mercy considering the animal’s deadly teeth and powerful bite force.

Across 110 million years, Pliosaurs spread all over the world, appearing across North America and in England’s Kimmeridge Clay formation, where the first such fossil was discovered in 1822. These finds show a great degree of diversity among the Pliosaur’s species, but the animal shows little ecological variation, always seeking out similar environments where it could dominate prey.

Inside each Pliosaur skull were dozens of hooked teeth concentrated towards the front, allowing the Pliosaur to latch onto large prey and prevent them from escaping. In this, the animal was aided by its powerful jaw muscles. Pterygoideus musculature allowed Pliosaurus to quickly open and close its mouth against the resistance of water, while the main adductor mass allowed those jaws to remain sealed around prey. 

A reinforced cranial skeleton was well suited to handle the added stress from these powerful bites, allowing the animal to tear into just about anything that came in its way. Preserved stomach contents suggest an opportunistic hunter that preyed on cephalopods, fish, and other aquatic reptiles. Its large eyes and nonspecialized ears suggest a visual hunter who picked its prey out from a distance before charging in.