Swanage crocodile with 1/2m  measure for scale

Swanage residents and visitors alike now have the chance to see an impressive former neighbour after a 130 million year old fossil crocodile skull was recently found near the town. The 60cm long skull dates from the Lower Cretaceous Period of geological time and was found within the Dorset and East Devon Coast (Jurassic Coast) World Heritage Site. It goes on display at the Swanage Museum and Heritage Centre from this week. The beast was found in April 2007 by Richard Edmonds, Earth Science Manager for the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site team. He said;‘This was a really lucky find. A part of my job is to monitor the condition of the rocks and fossils along the World Heritage Site but you don't expect to find something this spectacular without spending a lot more time on the coast. There had been a recent rock fall near Swanage that had cut right across the skull. The back of the skull was lying in the rubble on the beach and the rest was trapped in the cliff fall. I have collected fossils for thirty years but this is a once in a lifetime find.'Dorset fossil collectors Steve Etches and Chris Moore assisted with the recovery of the loose section and after a short period of cleaning it became apparent that this was a very well preserved specimen. Richard approached the landowner, Swanage Town Council together with Natural England for permission to recover the rest of the skull. Richard said;

‘It took two weeks to obtain permission but this is essential when fossils are found in situ, that is, within the cliff or foreshore. In West Dorset we have a fossil collecting code that shortens the length of time it takes to obtain permission to a day or even less but that is not the case in Purbeck, so there was always a risk of the rest of the skull being damaged by the sea or an inexperienced collector.'

Following the successful extraction, (using the same team of collectors), the two pieces were re united and carefully prepared by Chris and his son Alex at their workshop in Charmouth to a very high standard. The Jurassic Coast Trust, established to support conservation, science, arts and education initiatives along the World Heritage Site, has generously sponsored the cleaning costs.  Chairman of the Jurassic Trust, James Weld said;

‘The Jurassic Coast Trust is delighted to support the preparation of this important specimen, it is such a remarkable find and is a key piece to help us understand the history of the Jurassic Coast".

 
Swanage crocodile with Chris Moore left, Richard Edmonds centre and Steve Etches right.

The specimen is a large (58cm long) and very well preserved skull, probably of the crocodile Goniopholis, the earliest ancestor to the modern crocodiles. It lived in swamps and lagoons and shared this environment with dinosaurs such as Iguanadon. Only the skull was found because when the animal died, the soft parts rotted away and then the bones were scattered before being buried.

There are three known types of Goniopholis, one, which is quite well represented in the collections of the Natural History Museum and two others that are only known from one specimen each. At the end of the summer, the specimen will be made available to experts at the Natural History Museum and Bristol University in order to determine its scientific importance. If it proves to be a highly important, then it will be donated to a registered museum in Dorset. Following that, it is anticipated that it will be loaned back to Swanage Museum and Heritage Centre until Durlston Castle, Dorset County Councils flagship project for the World Heritage Site in Purbeck, is renovated and opened with new displays about the Jurassic Coast.

Visitor information:
Location: Swanage Heritage Centre, The Square, Swanage
Dates: April - Oct open seven days a week. Nov & Dec open weekends
Admission: Free
Opening hours: 10am-5pm (closed 1pm-2pm).
Visitor enquiries: 01929 421427
Website: www.purbeck.gov.uk

• Richard Edmonds can be contacted at r.edmonds@dorsetcc.gov.uk
• For information about the Jurassic Coast Trust, contact the Executive Officer, Nikki Greenleaf at nikki.greenleaf@jurassiccoasttrust.org