Scotland Paleontologists on Monday unveiled the fossil remains of the dreaded sea monster Storr Lochs preserved in the National Museums Scotland for 50 years. Dating back to 170 million years, the sea monster's fossil was a rare find and will undergo a detailed study by experts from the National Museums Scotland and the University of Edinburgh.
Excavated on 1966 from the Isle of Skye on Scotland, the fossil remains have four meters (13 feet) in length and show a peculiar snout with a streamlined body.
According to paleontologists, the sea-living reptile belongs to the extinct family 'ichthyosaurs' of the prehistoric seas when dinosaurs were ruling the land.
Sea monsters have always elicited immense interest and a report by Tech Times on a sea monster found in Mexico will attest that.
What makes the Storr Lochs fossil unique is that it is the best ever skeleton of a Mesozoic seafaring reptile ever found in Scotland. Fresh research on the fossil under a partnership among the National Museums Scotland, the University of Edinburgh and energy company SSE is expected to throw up interesting facts.
The new research will be paying more attention on the aspect of how ichthyosaurs evolved during the Middle Jurassic Period. It has been a dark period shrouded in mystery with scanty fossilized evidence.
After the analysis, the Storr Lochs fossil will be made available for public viewing at various locations, including SSE's center at Pitlochry Dam.
Storr Lochs Monster Ruled The Waves
A senior academic at the Edinburgh University gave some interesting background of the Storr Lochs Monster.
"Ichthyosaurs like the Storr Lochs Monster ruled the waves while dinosaurs thundered across the land. Their bones are exceptionally rare in Scotland, which makes this specimen one of the crown jewels of Scottish fossils," said Dr. Steve Brusatte, Professor at School of GeoSciences.
These gigantic marine reptiles coexisted with the dinosaurs and are comparable to the dolphins of our times. Their fast swimming power is evidenced by the physical features such as long snouts and cone-shaped teeth for eating squid and fish.
The National Museums Scotland authorities are also excited at the fossil research.
"The Storrs Loch Monster highlights the rich fossil heritage of Skye. Collaborations between scientists at National Museums Scotland, the University of Edinburgh and elsewhere in the UK are beginning to shed new light on the Middle Jurassic of Skye" said Dr. Nick Fraser, head of natural sciences at National Museums Scotland.
Meanwhile, SSE is looking forward to contributing its bit to the studies on Storrs Loch Monster.
"SSE hopes this fossil will indeed prove to be a 'crown jewel' in Scotland's Jurassic history and thanks to the foresight of the Gillies family, enjoyed by generations to come," noted Martin Pibworth, managing director wholesale SSE.
