SPECTACULAR MOSOSAURUS SKULL. ...

Description

SPECTACULAR MOSOSAURUS SKULL
Mosasauridae Globidensini prognatodon sp.
Cretaceous, Maastrichtian stage
Khouribga phosphate deposits, Morocco
Undisputed Emperors of the high Cretaceous seas, the mosasauridae were a family of enormous serpentine marine reptile, at the top of their food chain, and scourge of the many and varied ocean-dwelling creatures with which they shared the waters. They were named for the river Meuse, near Maastricht in the Netherlands, where remains of this astonishing creature were first discovered in the late 18th century, but specimens have been excavated from Antarctica, Australasia, Europe, Africa and the Americas from north to south. Discovered in so many different locales, it is no wonder that there is a profusion of genera, and exact identification is often nigh-on impossible. An estimate of size can sometimes help point the way - some of the Clidastes sp. were as small as 7 feet in length, whereas the Tylosaurus proriger and Mosasaurus http://www.answers.com/topic/mosasaurus hoffmanni could reach up to a fearsome 55 feet long - but the variety was enormous. The present skull measures 47 inches in length, indicating an overall size nearer the top of the range (around 40-45 feet), but no matter the species, with a heavy barrel-shaped body and powerfully propulsive tail, it knew no rivals in the waters it prowled, and this skull is a perfect illustration of the powerful jaws and fearsome teeth with which it easily disposed of its prey (in fact, like a snake, some species barely needed even to use their stocky powerful teeth, having jaws that were double-hinged enabling it to swallow its food whole). This particular specimen was taken from the abundant phosphate deposits of northwestern Morocco and is 60% complete with some extremely sympathetic restoration and includes five of the upper vertebrae. Mounted on a discrete metal armature it forcefully conjures to the viewer's imagination the immense size and power of this prehistoric killing machine. The whole skull and five vertebrae measures 62 inches in length.

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