Description
Large section of Mosasaur Jaw and Teeth in Matrix 19cm x 14cm
This large section of Mosasaur Jaw and teeth in matrix would make an impressive addition to any fossil collection. The overall size measures 19cm x 14cm and is approximately 75 million years old dating from the Cretaceous period. It comes from, Oued Zem, in Khouribga Province, Morocco. Because fossils dating back millions of years are often fragile they frequently require restoration work. This is the case with this section of fossilised jaw & teeth which has almost certainly been ‘reassembled’. Many fossils in major museums also require significant restoration work. This is a quite normal process and in no way detracts from the end product.
The Mosasaur was a large marine reptile that lived in the late Cretaceous period. Their name is a combination of the latin word ‘mosa’ and also the Greek word ‘saurus’. This was a very streamlined creature, with a broad and powerful tail. Their jaws were double hinged, similar to snakes, so they’re able to swallow their prey whole.
Mosasaurs thrived in shallow inland seas, approximately 80 to 66 million years ago. These weren’t dinosaurs, but air breathing reptiles, also giving birth to live young. These creatures were more closely related to todays monitor lizards and snakes, than dinosaurs. Mosasaurs were carnivorous, with their diet including ammonites, fish, plesiosaurs, and also marine turtles and birds. They grew to a huge size, with the largest specimens so far discovered being up to 15 metres long. Towards the end of the cretaceous period these were the principal marine predators.
Back to Fossils Back to Marine Reptile Fossils
