6 ‘Plesiosaurus’ hawkinsii

3D Model

Plesiosaurus means ‘close-to lizard’. The first complete skeleton of a plesiosaur was discovered by the famous fossil hunter Mary Anning in Dorset in the early 19th century. However, the species name hawkinsii is anchored to a well-preserved plesiosaur skeleton excavated by near Glastonbury by Thomas Hawkins. Today it is known as Thalassiodracon hawkinsii.

Plesiosaurs inhabited the seas around what is now southern England in the early Jurassic Period, 199–191 million years ago. They were ferocious predators, with their paddle-shaped limbs helping power them through the water in pursuit of fish, squid, molluscs and other sea creatures. It is highly unlikely that they were able to crawl on land. Modern evidence suggests that plesiosaurs did not have the slim, very bendy necks possessed by the sculptures but had thicker, more muscular necks and streamlined bodies.

‘Plesiosaurus’ hawkinsii is smaller than the other plesiosaurs at Crystal Palace.

Model by HE Geospatial Survey Team ©Historic England