World oldest marine crocodile fossil discovered on Lyme Regis Museum Walk
Lyme Regis Museum is delighted to share the discovery of an exceptionally rare marine crocodile maxilla (upper jaw bone) during one of its recent guided fossil walks along the Jurassic Coast.
The fossil was discovered by participant Heather Salt, highlighting the remarkable potential for important finds along the beaches of Lyme Regis.
Preliminary identification suggests the specimen belongs to the same type of early Jurassic crocodile as Turnersuchus hingleyae, a rare marine crocodylomorph known from very few examples worldwide. In total, only around 11 specimens of this kind have ever been recorded. Of these, two are held by the Natural History Museum, one is displayed at Dinosaurland Fossil Museum and a small number are in private collections. Lyme Regis Museum itself holds several key examples, including the holotype skeleton and additional referred specimens.
Walk Guide Casey Rich said, ‘This is exactly why I love my role as a field palaeontologist and fossil walk guide. By teaching the basics, we give people the chance to make their own discoveries, and sometimes that leads to finds that are not only exciting, but important to science. Moments like this will remain with me forever.’
This discovery reinforces the international importance of the Jurassic Coast as a site of ongoing scientific significance. More than two centuries after the pioneering discoveries of Mary Anning, the cliffs and beaches around Lyme Regis continue to reveal fossils that contribute to our understanding of early marine reptiles and prehistoric ecosystems.
Guided fossil walks led by Lyme Regis Museum offer visitors the chance to explore this unique coastline safely, while learning how to identify and responsibly collect fossils. Finds such as this rare crocodile specimen demonstrate that important discoveries can still be made today.
Lyme Regis Museum runs regular fossil walks throughout the year. For more information and to book, visit www.lymeregismuseum.co.uk.
