This is the fiercest sea monster 66 million years ago, dubbed the Broken Tooth Predator
The most ferocious sea monster that ever lived 66 million years ago, the giant Mosasaurus or Thalassotitan Atrox ranged in size from 9 to 10 meters. Photos / Live Science /
The ligament – the size of the giant Mosasaurus or Thalassotitan was the most ferocious of all 66 million years ago, its size was from 9 to 10 meters. A team of scientists has found traces of a giant mosasaur with teeth like killer whales that ruled the oceans at the end of the Cretaceous period.
Researchers have found skulls, jaws, and other fossilized remains of the Thalassotitan atrox near Casablanca in western Morocco. This area was under water during the Cretaceous period.
The name Thalassotitan comes from the Greek words “thalassa” and “titan”, which means “giant of the sea”. While the species name atrox translates to “cruel” or “merciless.” This extinct predator likely ate other marine reptiles, including fellow mosasaurs.
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Researchers have found that Thalassotitan atrox teeth are often chipped, chipped, or eroded. This indicates that the species damaged it when attacking the bones of prey and biting it forcefully.
Mosasaurus became extinct at the same time as the dinosaurs after a giant asteroid hit Earth 66 million years ago. The new findings add to the fossil record in Morocco that shows the oceans were full of rich and diverse life before the asteroid impact.
Most mosasaurs had a long jaw and slender teeth, but Thalassotitan atroxes developed a shorter and wider snout. This structure increases its bite force and its short, conical teeth similar to that of a killer whale can withstand the increased force when biting large prey.
This is the fiercest sea monster 66 million years ago, dubbed the Broken Tooth Predator
They tell us how rich and varied life was before the end of the “Age of Dinosaurs”. “Where animals have to specialize to have a place in their ecosystems,” said Noureddine Jalil, director of collections at the Center for Paleontology Research at the Museum of Natural History in Paris.
Mosasaurus was a group of marine reptiles that were closely related to modern lizards and snakes. They ruled the world’s oceans for millions of years when dinosaurs dominated the land. “Thalasotetan completes that picture by taking on the role of the huge singular at the top of the food chain,” said Noureddin Jalil.
A 2014 study published in Proceedings of the Zoological Institute RAS estimated that a specimen of a Mosasaurus of a different species in Russia called Mosasaurus hoffmanni was about 17 meters long.
The researchers found fossilized bones from at least three other mosasaurs in the same bedrock as the Thalassotitan atrox. It showed signs of acid breakdown, indicating that this mosasaur had digested in the stomach of Thalassotitan Atrox and vomited it up again.
