“Before we opened our doors for the first time in late 2016, Steve Etches – the fossil hunter whose remarkable collection is housed in this purpose-built museum – said he wanted an object that would really catch the eye of visitors entering the foyer.
Something, he added, to instil a little fear in them so they would truly understand what the top-of-the-food-chain predators of the Jurassic period really looked like in their day.
Nothing brings those creatures to life better than this wonderful beast we call ‘Goliath’, our sculpture of a pliosaur that would have menaced the warm tropical sea that was Kimmeridge some 150 million years ago.
People’s reactions are quite interesting. As they ascend the stairs, they catch sight of the blood and gore as the pliosaur tears its prey apart. The kids really love it and, should they need further confirmation of its size and power, along the corridor there’s an actual pliosaur jaw fossil specimen that’s some three metres long.
Goliath was made from fibreglass by Andrew Cocks, who specialises in prehistoric re-creations in his workshop on the Isle of Wight.
It is, of course, difficult to say exactly what colour the pliosaur would have been, and we can only truly go by the appearance of modern predators such as sharks and sperm whales, which tend to be a darker shade on top and lighter underneath, so they are perfectly camouflaged in water. Indeed, we applied the same approach to the creatures that appear on the museum’s ceiling CGI screens, giving visitors the opportunity to watch long-extinct animals swim above their heads.
The pliosaur model was one of two major additions to the collection that we made last year. We were also given a magnificent ichthyosaur fossil specimen, which was originally found in 1993, and Steve spent some nine months preparing it for display, making some new discoveries along the way.
Having completed a very successful first year, we’re now concentrating on building up our centre for learning. Being on the Jurassic Coast, where so many outstanding discoveries have been made in the Kimmeridge clay, we’re an ideal place for the study
of dinosaurs. And visitors can also obtain hands-on experience in our museum.
We enable them to go down to the bay with Steve and experience fossil hunting first hand. Those lucky enough to find something can then bring their discoveries back to the museum, where they can then view them ‘up close and personal’ on our high-powered microscope, while also receiving an insight into the cleaning and conservation of fossils in our workshop.”
Interview by John Holt. The 3D model sculpture of a pliosaur, known as Goliath, is on permanent display at the Etches Collection, Museum of Jurassic Marine Life, Kimmeridge, Dorset
Carla Crook is the registrar, PR, marketing, events and collections management at the Etches Collection, Museum of Jurassic Marine Life, Kimmeridge, Dorset
Something, he added, to instil a little fear in them so they would truly understand what the top-of-the-food-chain predators of the Jurassic period really looked like in their day.
Nothing brings those creatures to life better than this wonderful beast we call ‘Goliath’, our sculpture of a pliosaur that would have menaced the warm tropical sea that was Kimmeridge some 150 million years ago.
People’s reactions are quite interesting. As they ascend the stairs, they catch sight of the blood and gore as the pliosaur tears its prey apart. The kids really love it and, should they need further confirmation of its size and power, along the corridor there’s an actual pliosaur jaw fossil specimen that’s some three metres long.
Goliath was made from fibreglass by Andrew Cocks, who specialises in prehistoric re-creations in his workshop on the Isle of Wight.
It is, of course, difficult to say exactly what colour the pliosaur would have been, and we can only truly go by the appearance of modern predators such as sharks and sperm whales, which tend to be a darker shade on top and lighter underneath, so they are perfectly camouflaged in water. Indeed, we applied the same approach to the creatures that appear on the museum’s ceiling CGI screens, giving visitors the opportunity to watch long-extinct animals swim above their heads.
The pliosaur model was one of two major additions to the collection that we made last year. We were also given a magnificent ichthyosaur fossil specimen, which was originally found in 1993, and Steve spent some nine months preparing it for display, making some new discoveries along the way.
Having completed a very successful first year, we’re now concentrating on building up our centre for learning. Being on the Jurassic Coast, where so many outstanding discoveries have been made in the Kimmeridge clay, we’re an ideal place for the study
of dinosaurs. And visitors can also obtain hands-on experience in our museum.
We enable them to go down to the bay with Steve and experience fossil hunting first hand. Those lucky enough to find something can then bring their discoveries back to the museum, where they can then view them ‘up close and personal’ on our high-powered microscope, while also receiving an insight into the cleaning and conservation of fossils in our workshop.”
Interview by John Holt. The 3D model sculpture of a pliosaur, known as Goliath, is on permanent display at the Etches Collection, Museum of Jurassic Marine Life, Kimmeridge, Dorset
Carla Crook is the registrar, PR, marketing, events and collections management at the Etches Collection, Museum of Jurassic Marine Life, Kimmeridge, Dorset
