Prehistoric crocodile tooth is largest found in the UK

A FOSSILISED tooth which belonged to a prehistoric relative of the modern crocodile has been recorded as the largest of its kind found in the UK.

The 5.5cm-long tooth, which was dredged from the sea floor near Chesil Beach in Dorset, was from a marine predator, the Dakosaurus maximus.

Experts from Edinburgh University and the Natural History Museum in London identified the tooth after it was bought at an online auction by a fossil collector about a year ago.

The tooth, which has a broken tip, is now being kept in the fossil collection of the Natural History Museum.

Dr Mark Young, from Edinburgh University’s School of Biological Sciences, said: “Given its size, Dakosaurus had very large teeth.

“However, it wasn’t the top marine predator of its time and would have swum alongside other larger marine reptiles, making the shallow seas of the Late Jurassic period exceptionally dangerous.”

Dakosaurus maximus grew to around 4.5 metres in length and swam in the shallow seas that covered Europe 152 million years ago, accord- ing to the team’s research, which is published in the scientific journal Historical Biology.

The shape of its skull and teeth suggest it ate similar prey to killer whales, using its broad, short jaws to swallow fish whole and to bite chunks of flesh from larger prey. MONSTER OF THE DEEP: The Dakosaurus maximus, prehistoric relative of the modern-day crocodile.

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