In recent studies, the confirmation of paleogeographical affinities extended this range to areas across the Atlantic including Brazil and the East Coast state of New Jersey. [50][36] Rather, M. hoffmannii likely employed inertial feeding (in which the animal thrusts its head and neck backward to release a held prey item and immediately thrust the head and neck forward to close the jaws around the item[78]) and used jaw adduction to assist in biting during prey seizure. The overall structure of the paddle is compressed, similar to in Plotosaurus, and was well-suited for faster swimming. This creates a rigid three-pivot geometric cranial structure. Such a trait is unique among squamates, the only known exception being the Argentine black and white tegu, which can maintain partial endothermy. Previous bite force estimates for juvenile T. rexes based on reconstruction of the jaw muscles or from mathematically scaling down the bite force of adult T. rexes were considerably less, about 4,000 newtons. [n][o][38] However, Russell used an early method of phylogenetics and did not use cladistics. [49], The tail structure of Mosasaurus is similar to relatives like Prognathodon, in which soft tissue evidence for a two-lobed tail is known. Aside from Zarafasaura in Morocco, plesiosaurs were scarce. The study also held four additional species from Pacific depositsM. [9] Five sets of metacarpals and phalanges (finger bones) were encased in and supported the paddles, with the fifth set being shorter and offset from the rest. These localities include the Midwest and East Coast of the United States, Canada, Europe, Turkey, Russia, the Levant, the African coastline from Morocco[101] to South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, and Antarctica. [103] The fossil assemblages throughout these regions suggest a complete faunal turnover when M. missouriensis and M. conodon appeared at 79.5 Ma, indicating that the presence of Mosasaurus in the Western Interior Seaway had a profound impact on the restructuring of marine ecosystems. Many elements of the sculpture can be considered inaccurate, even for the time. Mosasaurus vs Megalodon: Who Would Win In A Fight? [5], The palate, which consists of the pterygoid bones, palatine bone, and nearby processes of other bones, is tightly packed to provide greater cranial stability. Both specimens show signs of deep bacterial infection alongside the fractures; some bacteria may have spread to nearby damaged teeth and caused tooth decay, which may have entered deeper tissue from prior post-traumatic or secondary infections. Another trait that came from Tyrannosaurus being in its gene pool was the massively strong bite force it had, . These species include one comparable with M. lemonnieri, and another that appears to be closely related to M. An examination of existing historical evidence by Pieters et al., (2012) suggested the most accurate date would be on or around 1780. At the time, Europe was a scattering of islands with most of the modern continental landmass being underwater. The long, narrow, and heavy nature of the lower jaws and attachment of tendons at the coronoid process would have allowed quick opening and closing of the mouth with little energy input underwater, which also contributed to the powerful bite force of M. hoffmannii and suggests it would not have needed the strong magnus depressor muscles (jaw-opening muscles) seen in some plesiosaurs. This study was conducted on only one tooth and may not represent the exact durations of, The number of caudal vertebrae is not fully certain for, Street & Caldwell (2017) revised this assessment of. In M. lemonnieri, these olfactory organs, although still small, are better developed and have some components lacking in M. hoffmannii. [61], Another case of presumed niche partitioning between Mosasaurus and Prognathodon from the Bearpaw Formation in Alberta was documented in a 2014 study by Konishi and colleagues. [93], There are some M. hoffmannii jaws with evidence of infectious diseases as a result of physical injuries. "[14] In a 1822 work by James Parkinson, William Daniel Conybeare coined the genus Mosasaurus from the Latin Mosa "Meuse" and the Ancient Greek (saros, "lizard"), all literally meaning "lizard of the Meuse", in reference to the river where the holotype specimen was discovered nearby. The parietal foramen in Mosasaurus, which is associated with the parietal eye, is the smallest among mosasaurids. All species of Mosasaurus have seven cervical vertebrae, but other vertebral counts vary among them. These localities are all shallow ocean deposits, suggesting that juvenile Mosasaurus may still have lived in shallow waters.[100]. However, it is possible that such specimens may actually represent Moanasaurus, although this depends on the outcome of a pending revision of the genus. He clarified that earlier interpretations of claws were erroneous and demonstrated how the phalanges show no indication of muscle or tendon attachment, which would make walking impossible. [50], Paleontologists generally agree that Mosasaurus was likely an active predator of a variety of marine animals. [102][106], The southern Tethyan margin was located along the equator between 20N and 20S, resulting in warmer tropical climates. Laelaps . [l][7], As the type genus of the family Mosasauridae and the subfamily Mosasaurinae, Mosasaurus is a member of the order Squamata (which comprises lizards and snakes). Mosasaurus was 40 feet. [54], M. missouriensis and M. lemonnieri are smaller than M. hoffmannii but are known from more complete fossils. [7], Conrad uniquely used only M. hoffmannii and M. lemonnieri in his 2008 phylogenetic analysis, which recovered M. hoffmannii as basal to a multitude of descendant clades containing (in order of most to least basal) Globidens, M. lemonnieri, Goronyosaurus, and Plotosaurus. [40], The fifth species M. beaugei was described by Camille Arambourg in 1952 from isolated teeth originating from phosphate deposits in the Oulad Abdoun Basin and the Ganntour Basin in Morocco. The mosasaurus was a formidable predator in the late Cretaceous period. On the lower jaw, only one type, the dentary teeth, were present. Mosasaur - Wikipedia [50][61] Fauna likely preyed upon by the genus include bony fish, sharks, cephalopods, birds, and marine reptiles such as other mosasaurs[61] and turtles. Cuvier did not designate a scientific name for the new animal, and this was done by William Daniel Conybeare in 1822 when he named it Mosasaurus in reference to its origin in fossil deposits near the Meuse River. M. hoffmannii's low 13C levels reinforces its likely position as an apex predator. This rigid but highly shock-absorbent structure of the cranium likely allowed a powerful bite force. [f][40] The cutting edges of M. beaugei are neither serrated nor smooth, but instead possess minute wrinkles known as crenulations. The 2015 Indominus roaring at the T. rex and Blue seconds before she is pulled to her death by a Mosasaurus. The cause of the infection remains unknown, but if it were a result of an intraspecific attack then it is possible one of the openings on the quadrate may have been the point of entry for an attacker's tooth from which the infection entered. [h][66], One of the most complete Mosasaurus skeletons in terms of vertebral representation (Mosasaurus sp. [76] In 2014, Konishi and colleagues expressed a number of concerns with the reliance on Bell's study. As befitting mammals that can eat, chew and digest solid bone, spotted hyenas are equipped with massive skulls, disproportionately large trunks and forelimbs, and powerful bites that can rip through carcasses with up to 1,000 pounds of force per square inch. Reptile dubbed 'Jaws of Death' terrorized Cretaceous seas While M. hoffmannii also preyed on turtles, its teeth were built to handle a wider range of prey less suited for P. hoffmannii, M. missouriensis, M. conodon, M. lemonnieri, and M. beaugei. [129][130] The last fossils of Mosasaurus, which include those of M. hoffmannii and indeterminate species, occur up to the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary (K-Pg boundary). [108] Extensive drainage from the neighboring continents, Appalachia and Laramidia, brought in vast amounts of sediment. Mosasaurus also has large haemal arches located at the bottom of each caudal vertebra which bend near the middle of the tail, which contrasts with the reduction of haemal arches in other marine reptiles such as ichthyosaurs. It was given a boxy head, nostrils at the side of the skull, large volumes of soft tissue around the eyes, lips reminiscent of monitor lizards, scales consistent with those in large monitors like the Komodo dragon, and a flipper. [129] Any Mosasaurus surviving the immediate cataclysms by taking refuge in deeper waters would have died out due to starvation from a loss of prey. [50], Like all mosasaurs, the lower jaws of Mosasaurus could swing forward and backward. This was by observing the von Ebner lines, incremental marks in dentin that form daily. The discovery of mosasaurus fossils has helped us better understand the ancient marine ecosystem. [53] Based on personal observations of various unpublished fossils from Morocco, Nathalie Bardet estimated that M. beaugei grew to a total length of 810 meters (2633ft), their skulls typically measuring around 1 meter (3.3ft) in length,[59] with a body mass of around 1.5 metric tons (1.7 short tons) per Paul (2022).
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