A 7ft-long ichthyosaur skull V one of the largest of any ichthyosaurs ever found in the worldV went on show at Charmouth Fossils in Lower Sea Lane on Monday. It is the skull of a temnodontosaur V one of the largest types of ichthyosaur. Mr Gill said: Its a proud moment for me. Im glad to see it on display in Char- mouth where it belongs and that people dont have to drive to London to see it. Mr Gill, who has run the shop by the seafront for over 10 years, found the remains of the giant pre-historic fish lizard on the beach in Charmouth at Easter in 2000. The ichthyosaur, found after a massive cliff fall, is one of the biggest uncovered any where in the world. Dating back 180 million years the fossil was found after heavy rains exposed cliffs in the fossil-rich coastline. Fossil hunter Mr Gill knew he was on to something spe cial when he measured the skull and found it was two metres long V the total size of an average ichthyosaur. It con tains hundreds of razor sharp teeth up to four inches long. Mr Gill said at the time: I would like to put it on display here in Charmouth V but it really depends on whether I can find somewhere big enough."The skull is on per manent display at Charmouth Fossils. Visit: www.charmouthfossils.co.uk for further information. f Ichthyosaurs were similar in appearance to dolphins, with long, pointed snouts and streamlined bodies. They had conical teeth and large eyes. They propelled themselves through the water with verti cal tails, and they had flippers that consisted of limb bones that had fused together. They gave birth to live young, which enabled them to live entirely in the water. Other reptiles of the time - includ ing the dinosaurs - laid eggs on land. Ichthyosaurs proba bly lived on a diet of fish.