Fossil Plesiosaurus recently found at Street, near Glastonbury, 1857. Creator: Unknown

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Fossil Plesiosaurus recently found at Street, near Glastonbury, 1857. Creator: Unknown

Fossil Plesiosaurus recently found at Street, near Glastonbury, 1857. The lias quarries of Street...in Somersetshire, are celebrated for their fossil revelations of a remote period of the earth's history. This locality appears to have been the resort of those strange monsters the Saurians, and was probably, at the distant epoch marked by this peculiar development of animal life, an immense lake or muddy lagoon - a supposition favoured by the size and position of the lias strata. The vertebrae [of the specimen] are quite perfect, but the ribs are slightly displaced, as are also the pectoral bones and those of the pelvis. The "paddles" appear to be turned under the body, so that their digits appear on the lower side. The animal seems to have turned back its singular pointed head in the agony of death; and the skeleton has preserved the last attitude of dissolution through the successive changing phases of the world's existence'. From "Illustrated London News", 1857

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Media ID 36336914

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Bone Bones Dinosaur Fossil Fossilised Palaeontology Skeleton Plesiosaurus Dolichodeirus Wood Engraving

EDITORS COMMENTS
This photograph showcases a fossilized Plesiosaurus discovered at Street, near Glastonbury, in Somersetshire, England, in 1857. The Lias quarries of Street have long been renowned for their extraordinary fossil discoveries, offering a glimpse into the ancient world that once existed millions of years ago. The theory suggests that this location was once an immense lake or muddy lagoon, a hypothesis supported by the size and position of the lias strata. The Plesiosaurus specimen exhibits nearly perfect vertebrae, yet its ribs, pectoral bones, and pelvis have been slightly displaced. The distinctive "paddles" of the creature appear to be tucked under its body, revealing the digits on the underside. The animal's last moments are captured in this fossil, with its head turned back in what appears to be a final agonizing pose. The skeleton has miraculously preserved this last attitude throughout the countless phases of the world's existence. This fascinating discovery was documented in the "Illustrated London News" in 1857, providing a window into the scientific exploration of the prehistoric world. The Plesiosaurus, a type of saurian reptile, was a common inhabitant of the Earth's ancient oceans, and discoveries like this one have contributed significantly to our understanding of the planet's rich history.

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