OSLO (Reuters) – A giant fossil sea monster found in the Arctic and known as “Predator X” had a bite that would make T-Rex look feeble, scientists said on Monday.
A newly uncovered discovery on the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard has unveiled a colossal marine reptile from the Jurassic era, measuring a staggering 50 feet (15 meters) in length. The Natural History Museum of Oslo University disclosed that this ancient creature wielded an astonishing bite force of 33,000 lbs (15 metric tons) per square inch.
The museum’s Associate Professor of Vertebrate Paleontology, Joern Hurum, who spearheaded the international excavation in 2008, expressed, “With a skull surpassing 10 feet in length, one would anticipate a potent bite, but this magnitude is unparalleled.” He further compared the bite force to that of the famed T-Rex, noting the pliosaur reptile’s supremacy as a premier marine predator. Tyrannosaurus Rex, in contrast, reigned as a top terrestrial carnivore among dinosaurs.
The team of scientists meticulously reconstructed the predator’s head, determining the force by juxtaposing it with the similarly-shaped jaws of alligators found in a Florida park. Evolutionary biologist Greg Erickson from Florida State University played a vital role in the estimation of this monumental bite, leading to the conclusion that it stands among the most formidable bite forces ever computed for any living being.
Predator X’s bite was more than 10 times more powerful than any modern animal and four times the bite of a T-Rex, it said of the fossil, reckoned at 147 million years old. Alligators, crocodiles and sharks all now have fearsome bites.
The teeth of the pliosaur, belonging to a new species, were a foot (30 cms) long. The scientists reconstructed the reptile from a partial skull and 20,000 fragments of skeleton.
The pliosaur, estimated to have weighed 45 metric tons, was similar to but had more massive bones than another fossil sea monster found on Svalbard in 2007, also estimated at 50 feet long and the largest pliosaur to date.
“It’s not complete enough to say it’s really bigger than 15 meters,” Hurum said of the new fossil.
Hurum had said of the first fossil pliosaur that it was big enough to chomp on a small car. He said the bite estimates for the latest fossil forced a rethink.
“This one is more like it could crush a Hummer,” he said. referring to General Motors’ large sport utility vehicle.
Among other findings were that the pliosaur had a small thin brain shaped like that of a great white shark, according to scans by Patrick Druckenmiller of the University of Alaska.
Pliosaurs preyed upon squid-like animals, fish, and other marine reptiles. Predator X had four huge flippers to propel itself along, perhaps using just two at cruising speeds and the others for a burst of speed.