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Mosasaurs
Click here for more Mosasaur Pictures
| Scientific Classification |
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Mosasaurs are a group of extinct marine reptiles.
They were
powerful swimmers with long streamlined snake-like bodies (although they
did have four limbs all finned, and possibly a finned tail), and
ate fish, turtles, sea urchins, and shellfish including molluscs. The smallest
known mosasaur was about 10 feet (3 meters) long, but the largest grew as long
as 57 feet (17.5 meters).
Mosasaurs were not dinosaurs, but were lepidosaurs (reptiles with overlapping
scales, the group that includes lizards, snakes, and sphenodonts such as the
tuatara):
- Mosasaurs are believed to have evolved from aigialosaurs, which were semi-aquatic
lizards that lived during the early
Cretaceous period, and
who are believed to be related to monitor lizards.
- In 1869, Edward D. Cope
suggested that Mosasaurs and snakes share a common marine ancestor. This idea was
based on the similarities observed in Mosasaur and snake jaws, the reduced limbs,
and the fact that Mosasaurs may have moved in a similar way to snakes.
In the 1990s, the discovery of fossils
of early snakes with vestigial limbs in marine sediments seemed to provide
support for this hypothesis. However, more recently, other early snake
fossils have been found,
and since these show animals with hind limbs and an apparently burrowing lifestyle,
some doubt has been cast on the idea that Mosasaurs and snakes shared a common
ancestor.
Mosasaur skeletions:
Mosasaurs appear to have first evolved during early or middle
Cretaceous period,
perhaps around 96 million years ago. In the last 20 million years of the
Cretaceous,
following the extinction of
Ichthyosaurs,
they became the dominant predators. However, all
Mosasaurs died out during the
mass extinction at the end of the
Cretaceous period.
The first publicized discovery of a Mosasaur
fossil
occurred in 1778. A
fossil was
found in a limestone quarry in 1780,
near the city of
Masstricht
in
Holland. It was not however
named or scientifically described until later, the name eventually given, Mosasaur, means
"Meuse lizard", and refers to the nearby Meuse River. Subsequently, other fossils
which had been found earlier in the same area, and had been on display since around 1770, were also
identified as being from a Mosasaur.
Since then, other Mosasaur
fossils have been found in many other countries
around the world, including
Australia,
Canada,
Denmark,
Mexico,
New Zealand,
Peru,
Sweden,
and the
United States,
as well as in Africa and off the coast of Antarctica.
Mosasaurs were marine reptiles that lived between 96 and 65 million years ago
Related Information & Resources
See Also
Mosasaur Books
Here are some books from Amazon.com:
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By Marfé Ferguson Delano
National Geographic Kids
Released: October 9th, 2007
Paperback (32 pages)
 | Lowest New Price: $6.95*
In Stock.*
*(As of 17:15 Pacific 17 Jan 2021 More Info)
Click Here | Description:
Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure- Manufacturer: National Geographic Kids
- Brand: National Geographic Kids
- ISBN: 1426301626
- EAN: 9781426301629
- PartNumber: col
Details:- Paperback
- Format: Illustrated
- Edition: Media tie-in
- Number of Pages: 32
- Author: Marfé Ferguson Delano
- Publication Date: October 9th, 2007
- Release Date: October 9th, 2007
Physical Description:- Size: 10.875 Inches by 10.0 Inches by 0.125 Inches
- Weight: 0.3747858454 Pounds
Click here for more information |
|
By Parragon Books
Parragon Books
Released: December 25th, 2018
Board book (10 pages)
 | List Price: $12.99*
Lowest New Price: $11.69*
In Stock.*
*(As of 17:15 Pacific 17 Jan 2021 More Info)
Click Here | Description:
Crash! Stomp! Roar! Let's Listen to Dinosaurs!- Manufacturer: Parragon Books
- Brand: Parragon Books
- ISBN: 168052481X
- EAN: 9781680524819
Details:- Product Category: Board book
- Format: Illustrated
- Edition: Illustrated
- Number of Pages: 10
- Author: Parragon Books
- Publication Date: December 25th, 2018
- Release Date: December 25th, 2018
Physical Description:- Size: 10.4 Inches by 11.2 Inches by 0.5 Inches
- Weight: 1.3 Pounds
Click here for more information |
|
By Richard Ellis
University Press of Kansas
Released: October 7th, 2003
Paperback (326 pages)
 | Lowest New Price: $22.50*
In Stock.*
*(As of 17:15 Pacific 17 Jan 2021 More Info)
Click Here | Description:
Sea Dragons: Predators of the Prehistoric Oceans- Manufacturer: Univ Pr of Kansas
- Brand: University Press of Kansas
- ISBN: 0700613943
- EAN: 9780700613946
Details:- Paperback
- Format: Illustrated
- Edition: New edition
- Number of Pages: 326
- Author: Richard Ellis
- Publication Date: October 7th, 2003
- Release Date: October 7th, 2003
Physical Description:- Size: 9.02 Inches by 6.98 Inches by 0.81 Inches
- Weight: 1.36 Pounds
Click here for more information |
|
By Dale A. Russell
Yale Peabody Museum
Released: March 17th, 2020
Paperback (254 pages)
 | Lowest New Price: $38.00*
Usually ships within 2 to 3 days.*
*(As of 17:15 Pacific 17 Jan 2021 More Info)
Click Here | Description:
Systematics and Morphology of American Mosasaurs- Manufacturer: The Yale Peabody Museum
- Brand: Yale Peabody Museum
- ISBN: 1933789441
- EAN: 9781933789446
Details:- Paperback
- Format: Illustrated
- Edition: Illustrated
- Number of Pages: 254
- Author: Dale A. Russell
- Publication Date: March 17th, 2020
- Release Date: March 17th, 2020
Physical Description:- Size: 10.0 Inches by 7.01 Inches by 0.53 Inches
- Weight: 1.07144659332 Pounds
Click here for more information |
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