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Cretaceous

All articles tagged with #cretaceous

Giant beaked octopuses stalked the Cretaceous seas
science8 days ago

Giant beaked octopuses stalked the Cretaceous seas

A 2026 Science study analyzed 27 Late Cretaceous fossil jaws from Japan and Vancouver Island, estimating Nanaimoteuthis haggarti could reach about 7–19 meters (roughly 100–72 million years ago). The findings suggest giant, active, finned octopuses that could hunt hard prey and occupy a top predatory tier in ancient oceans, challenging the view that vertebrates dominated ancient marine ecosystems. Exact full-body size remains uncertain since conclusions are based on jaws rather than complete skeletons.

via Space Daily|
#beaks#cretaceous#nanaimoteuthis
Ancient Kraken-Like Giant Octopus Unearthed in 72-Million-Year-Old Fossils
science1 month ago

Ancient Kraken-Like Giant Octopus Unearthed in 72-Million-Year-Old Fossils

Researchers analyzing oversized fossil jaws from Japan and Canada describe two giant, kraken-like octopuses—Nanaimoteuthis jeletzkyi and N. haggarti—from about 72 million years ago; based on jaw size, N. haggarti may have reached 23–62 feet, potentially the largest known invertebrate, suggesting Cretaceous oceans hosted top predators among invertebrates alongside vertebrates and pointing to a more complex ancient marine ecosystem.

via USA Today|
#cretaceous#invertebrates#nanaimoteuthis
Sea's New King: Scientists Name Tylosaurus rex, the Ocean's Apex Predator
science1 month ago

Sea's New King: Scientists Name Tylosaurus rex, the Ocean's Apex Predator

Scientists have described Tylosaurus rex, a new mosasaur species that inhabited North America’s inland seas about 80 million years ago. Reaching up to 43 feet in length, it was larger than its close relative Tylosaurus proriger and likely the ocean’s apex predator, with a robust jaw and a scimitar-shaped skull. The species was identified after reclassifying fossils held in more than a dozen museums, including a nearly complete holotype at the Perot Museum in Dallas. The discovery reveals greater mosasaur diversity and shows that sea predators crowned the Cretaceous seas as fearsome as the land-dwelling T. rex was on land.

via CNN|
#cretaceous#fossilreclassification#mosasaur
Denman Island Fossil Tail Confirms Pacific Coast Ornithomimosaurs Roamed Western North America
science1 month ago

Denman Island Fossil Tail Confirms Pacific Coast Ornithomimosaurs Roamed Western North America

Paleontologists on Denman Island, off British Columbia, recovered a tail vertebra from an 80–75 million-year-old ornithomimosaur, the second dinosaur skeletal material found in the Nanaimo Group and the first from Canadian outcrops. The fossil suggests bird-like, ostrich‑like dinosaurs inhabited the ancient Pacific coastline and may have reached Denman Island via coastal currents, shoreline transport, or drifting carcasses. Dating to the Campanian, the find informs on the latitudinal distribution of Late Cretaceous dinosaurs along western North America and raises questions about coastal biogeography; the study was published in FACETS by Evans and colleagues.

via Sci.News|
#british-columbia#cretaceous#denman-island
New Apex Predator Unearthed: Mosasaur Reclassified as Tylosaurus rex
science1 month ago

New Apex Predator Unearthed: Mosasaur Reclassified as Tylosaurus rex

A Perot Museum mosasaur specimen, previously identified as Tylosaurus proriger, has been reclassified as a new species, Tylosaurus rex, making it a 13.2-meter-long apex predator with a powerful jaw and serrated teeth; researchers also reassigned 12 other large mosasaurs to T. rex, prompting a rethink of mosasaur evolution and the diversity of Late Cretaceous oceans.

via ScienceAlert|
#cretaceous#fossilreclassification#mosasaur
New Sea Tyrant: Meet Tylosaurus rex, a 43-foot Mosasaur
science1 month ago

New Sea Tyrant: Meet Tylosaurus rex, a 43-foot Mosasaur

Scientists describe a new mosasaur species, Tylosaurus rex, from 80-million-year-old Texas fossils that could reach about 43 feet in length, possessed finely serrated teeth and powerful jaws, and likely dominated ancient seas; several specimens previously labeled as Tylosaurus proriger have been reclassified as this new species, highlighting ongoing revisions in mosasaur evolution and the Western Interior Seaway ecosystem.

via Live Science|
#cretaceous#mosasaur#paleontology
Thailand Uncovers Southeast Asia’s Biggest Sauropod
science1 month ago

Thailand Uncovers Southeast Asia’s Biggest Sauropod

In northeastern Thailand, researchers uncovered skeletal remains of Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, a massive sauropod about 90 feet long and weighing roughly 25–28 tons, dating to ~113 million years ago. The find highlights Southeast Asia’s sauropod diversity and paints a picture of a subtropical, riverine ecosystem with predators and other dinosaurs, expanding understanding of how these giant herbivores lived and why they grew so large.

via NBC News|
#cretaceous#nagatitan-chaiyaphumensis#paleontology
Ancient Kraken: 62-Foot Giant Octopuses Roamed the Cretaceous Seas
science2 months ago

Ancient Kraken: 62-Foot Giant Octopuses Roamed the Cretaceous Seas

Fossilized beaks from two giant Cretaceous octopuses suggest they grew up to 62 feet long and hunted in oceans about 100 million years ago, potentially rivalling apex predators like mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Jaws show wear indicating they could dismantle hard-shelled prey, and signs of lateralized behavior imply brainier hunting patterns similar to modern octopuses, marking them as prehistoric top predators, though size estimates carry uncertainties.

via Yahoo|
#apex-predators#cephalopods#cretaceous
Ancient Kraken Revealed: 60-Foot Octopus Dominated the Cretaceous Seas
science2 months ago

Ancient Kraken Revealed: 60-Foot Octopus Dominated the Cretaceous Seas

Using high‑resolution tomography and AI on Cretaceous rocks from Japan and Vancouver Island, researchers reconstruct Nanaimoteuthis haggarti as a colossal 60‑foot octopus that ground shells and bones with a massive beak, likely making it an apex predator in its ecosystem and possibly among the oldest finned octopuses; the study also suggests brain lateralization, though that claim will need more evidence.

via Good News Network|
#cephalopods#cretaceous#fossils