Scary sea lime that roamed the coast of Africa 66 million years ago has deadly shark-like teeth that could cut fish in half with one bite
- Scientists have discovered the fossilized remains of a new species of mosasaurus
- Mosasuars were giant lizards that lived next to the dinosaurs
- This species was found to have shark-like teeth which gave it a deadly bite.
- The discovery suggests that the diversity of the mosasaurus peaked just before the asteroid that killed the dinosaur struck 66 million years ago.
A prehistoric reptile that roamed the coast of Africa 66 million years ago had deadly shark-like teeth that could cut a fish in half with one bite, a study has revealed.
Researchers have discovered the fossilized remains of a new species of mosasaurus – an ancient sea lime from the era of the dinosaurs.
This particular species was found to have shark-like teeth which gave it a deadly bite.
The discovery contributes to the diversity of marine reptiles in the late Cretaceous, suggesting that their diversity peaked just before the asteroid that killed the dinosaur 66 million years ago, according to the researchers.
Researchers have discovered the fossilized remains of a new species of mosasaurus – an ancient seabird from the dinosaur era
The fossilized remains of the new species, called Xenodens calminechari, were discovered in the Maastrichtian phosphates of Morocco by researchers from the University of Bath.
Dr Nick Longrich, senior lecturer at the Milner Center for Evolution at the University of Bath and lead author of the study, said: ’66 million years ago, the coast of Africa was the most dangerous sea in the world.
‘The predator variety was unlike anything else on the planet.
‘The new mosasaurus adds to a rapidly growing list of marine reptiles known from the latest Cretaceous from Morocco, which was underwater under a tropical sea at the time.
A large variety of moss sauras lived here. Some were giant, deep-diving predators like modern potfish, others with large teeth and grow ten feet long, were top predators like orcas, and others ate shellfish like modern sea otters – and then there were the strange little Xenodens.
‘They coexisted with long-necked plesiosaurs, giant sea turtles and saber-toothed fish.
While the lizard was only the size of a small brown pig, its incisors could allow it to attack large fish, cut them in half and take large bites.
“The new mosasaurus adds another dangerous predator to the mix.”
While the lizard was only the same size as a small brown pig, its incisors would have allowed it to strike above its weight, cut fish in half and take large bites from larger animals.
“It’s like the knives sold on that old TV commercial late at night – they will cut through everything,” says Dr. Longrich.
Mosasaurs lived with dinosaurs before the asteroid struck and wiped out 90 percent of all species on earth.
A reconstruction of his skull reveals that his teeth were tightly packed, creating a toothed effect
However, the new study indicates that the ecosystem did not deteriorate before the asteroid hit, and that it is likely that marine reptiles have actually expanded in diversity.
Dr Nour-Eddine Jalil of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris and the University of Cadi Ayyad in Marrakech said: looks like a fantastic creature.
‘Xenodens calminechari is further evidence of the extraordinary paleobiodiversity of the phosphate sea.
“It is as if nature is struggling to find all the combinations for an ever finer exploitation of food resources.”