Plagiophthalmosuchus gracilirostrus
Plagiophthalmosuchus were marine crocodiles. Unlike modern crocodiles that live in rivers and lakes, these marine crocodiles lived in the seas of Jurassic Yorkshire. They had long jaws similar to gharials, which were perfect for catching fish. This specimen consists of the skull of a mature Plagiophthalmosuchus, alongside some of the vertebrae from the animal. The fossil dates back to the Toarcian age of the Jurassic period, approximately 175 million years ago.
Crocodilomorphs are extremley rare in Jurassic Yorkshire. The majority of taxa found along the Whitby coast are thallatosuchians - fully aquatic crocodilomorphs that are commonly referred to as "marine crocodiles" but lie outside of Crocodilia and thus are not true crocodiles.
For this reason the YNHM crocodylomorph collection is limited to a precious few skeletal specimens, but a great number of trace fossils such as coprolites.