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The terrifying sea lizard that roamed the coast of Africa 66 million years ago had deadly shark-shaped teeth that could cut fish in half with just one bite.
- Scientists have discovered fossilized remains of new species of mosasaur
- Mosasuars were giant sea lizards that lived alongside dinosaurs
- This species was discovered to have shark teeth that gave it a fatal bite.
- Discovery suggests mosasaur diversity peaked just before dinosaur-killer asteroid struck 66 million years ago
A prehistoric reptile that roamed the coast of Africa 66 million years ago had lethal shark-shaped teeth that could cut a fish in half with a single bite, a study found.
Researchers have discovered the fossilized remains of a new species of mosasaur – an ancient sea lizard from the age of dinosaurs.
This particular species was discovered to have shark teeth that gave it a fatal bite.
The discovery adds to the diversity of marine reptiles in the late Cretaceous and suggests that their diversity peaked just before the dinosaur-killer asteroid struck 66 million years ago, the researchers said.
Researchers have discovered the fossilized remains of a new species of mosasaur – an ancient sea lizard from the dinosaur age
The fossilized remains of the new species, called Xenodens calminechari, were discovered in the Maastrichtian phosphates of Morocco by researchers at 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 coasts of Africa were the most dangerous in the world.
“The variety of predators was unlike anything else on the planet.
The new mosasaur adds to a rapidly growing list of known marine reptiles from Morocco’s Late Cretaceous Period, which at the time was submerged under a tropical sea.
“A great diversity of mosasaurs lived here. Some were giant predators and deep divers like modern sperm whales, others with huge teeth and up to ten meters in length, were prominent predators like orcas, still others ate crustaceans 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 sea lizard was only the same size as a small porpoise, its sharp teeth would have allowed it to attack large fish, cut them in half and take big bites.
“The new mosasaur adds another dangerous predator to the mix.
While the sea lizard was only the same size as a small porpoise, its sharp teeth would have allowed it to strike above its weight, cutting the fish in half and taking large bites from larger animals.
“They’re like the knives sold in those old late-night TV commercials – they’ll slice anything,” said Dr Longrich.
Mosasaurs lived alongside dinosaurs before the asteroid struck and wiped out 90% of all species on Earth.
Reconstruction of his skull reveals his teeth were clenched, creating a jagged effect
However, the new study indicates that the ecosystem was not in decline before the asteroid struck, and that it is more likely that marine reptiles were actually thriving in diversity.
Dr Nour-Eddine Jalil of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris and Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech, said: “ A mosasaur with shark teeth is a new adaptation of mosasaurs so surprising that it looked like a fantastic creature from the imagination of an artist.
“Xenodens calminechari is further proof of the extraordinary paleobiodiversity of the Phosphate Sea.
“It is as if nature was struggling to find all the combinations for an ever more refined exploitation of food sources.
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