UK’s biggest CT scan to be used on fossil

Indie Pro Pub: UK’s biggest CT scan to be used on fossil
British scientists are using the country’s most powerful CT scanner to investigate a recently found fossil of one of the world’s most ferocious sea monsters of pre-historic times.

The fossil, found recently along the U.K.’s Jurassic coast, belongs to a pliosaur and is considered the largest fossil of this predator ever found. At 2.4 meters long (7.9 feet), with a crocodile-like head, paddle-like limbs, and razor sharp teeth, it ruled the oceans 150 million years ago. With a skull measurement like this, the monster would have been 10-16 meters (33-52 feet) long and weigh up to 12 tonnes.

The CT scan will x-ray the skull and provide 3D pictures and will, scientists hope, determine if this particular giant is a new species. The skull is being gently worked out of the rock by preparator Scott Moore-Fay, and is expected to take more than 1,000 hours of intense and careful labor.

Moore-Fay was excited to be able to use the CT scan and said equipment like this will prevent any damage from occurring to the fossil.

The funding for the scanner has been provided by the Engineering Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) and the University of Southampton, and is the largest and most powerful CT scanner in the U.K.

University of Southampton engineer Dr. Mark Mavrogordato said a 3D picture representing the original specimen would be the end result, which can be sliced and diced however needed, almost if being dissected by knife, only digitally and non-destructively.

Richard Forrest, team Palaeontologist, said, after examining the fossil and noting the hidden teeth, that the creature had an enormously powerful bite, and could have bitten a car in half.

But one the main goals is to determine if it is a new species to science.

Forrest said from the outside it looks similar to other pliosaurs found, just much bigger, but internal investigations will reveal if this species has not been seen before.

The fossil will eventually be mounted and displayed at the Dorset County Museum in 2011, in Dorchester, with mouth agape, and with a life size model of its head beside it so visitors can see exactly how large and terrifying it really was.