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Mosasaur

All articles tagged with #mosasaur

Ancient Giant Cephalopod Bears Clues of Deadly Chase in Manitoba Fossil
paleontology1 month ago

Ancient Giant Cephalopod Bears Clues of Deadly Chase in Manitoba Fossil

Researchers studying Enchoteuthis's gladius from the Cretaceous Pierre Shale (about 81 million years ago) identified two bite-mark pathologies: a front mark indicating a fatal attack with no healing, and a second, ambiguous mark; while the predator cannot be identified from tooth spacing, plausible culprits include mosasaurs such as Latoplatecarpus and predatory fish like Cimolichthys, illustrating predator–prey dynamics in the Western Interior Seaway. The findings, based on 3D scans and silicone casts of the fossilized gladius, were published August 28, 2026 in Cretaceous Research.

via Sci.News|
#bite-marks#cimolichthys#enchoteuthis
Icebound Giant Egg Redraws Mosasaur History
science1 month ago

Icebound Giant Egg Redraws Mosasaur History

A fossilized Late Cretaceous egg found in Antarctica is the largest soft-shelled egg ever discovered and the second-largest egg of any non-avian dinosaur. Named Antarcticoolithus bradyi, the egg likely came from a mosasaur, suggesting these marine reptiles could lay very large eggs and may have been viviparous, though the exact parent species remains uncertain. The egg’s preservation in anoxic sediments helped keep its leathery shell intact.

via Yahoo|
#antarctica#eggshell#fossil
Japan’s 30-Year Rock Yields Clues to Possible New Mosasaur
science2 months ago

Japan’s 30-Year Rock Yields Clues to Possible New Mosasaur

Researchers reexamining a rock specimen from Osaka collected in 1990–1992 uncovered four fossil bones that may belong to an undiscovered mosasaur. The find includes a confirmed premaxilla—the first mosasaur premaxilla identified in Japan—and unusual basisphenoid features that could indicate a new species, though confirmation requires further study. The case highlights how museum collections can reveal new insights with advancing techniques.

via The Times of India|
#fossils#japan#mosasaur
Sea's New King: Scientists Name Tylosaurus rex, the Ocean's Apex Predator
science4 months 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
New Apex Predator Unearthed: Mosasaur Reclassified as Tylosaurus rex
science4 months 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 43-Foot Mosasaur, Tylosaurus rex, Rewrites Sea Predator History
paleontology4 months ago

New 43-Foot Mosasaur, Tylosaurus rex, Rewrites Sea Predator History

Paleontologists describe a gigantic new mosasaur, Tylosaurus rex, up to 43 feet long with serrated teeth, discovered mainly in Texas. Larger than the previously known Tylosaurus proriger, it indicates a formidable open-water predator in North America’s Western Interior Seaway, with several famous museum specimens reclassified under the new species and findings published in the Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History.

via Sci.News|
#mosasaur#paleontology#texas-fossils
New Sea Tyrant: Meet Tylosaurus rex, a 43-foot Mosasaur
science4 months 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
The Largest Egg: An Unexpected Animal's Surprise
science1 year ago

The Largest Egg: An Unexpected Animal's Surprise

The largest eggs of any animal were laid by the extinct elephant bird Aepyornis maximus, weighing up to 1,000 kg, with fossil evidence suggesting even larger eggs from marine reptiles like mosasaurs. Currently, ostrich eggs are the largest among living birds, weighing about 2.6 kg. The article explores various giant eggs from extinct species and their significance in understanding animal evolution.

via IFLScience|
#bird-evolution#elephant-bird#largest-eggs