Species new to science
Despite over 200 years of fossil collecting, it’s still possible to make new discoveries such as this beautiful and near-perfect crocodile skull discovered in 2007. Shortly after, it was identified as a species new to science. The diagonal dark line across the skull is where it was broken; the back half fell out during a rock fall, then the rest had to be recovered by excavation as quickly as possible before it was lost to the sea.
Permission is required to excavate fossils. In this case, it was obtained from Natural England and Swanage Town Council, the landowner.
