[2], Distribution, ecosystem, and ecological impact. The restoration was primarily informed by Richard Owen's interpretation of the M. hoffmannii holotype and the anatomy of monitor lizards, so Hawkins depicted the animal as essentially a water-going monitor lizard. The lack of a strong sense of smell suggests that olfaction was not particularly important in Mosasaurus; instead, other senses like vision may have been more useful. hoffmannii had fourteen to sixteen maxillary teeth, fourteen to fifteen dentary teeth, and eight pterygoid teeth;[11][46][50] M. missouriensis had fourteen to fifteen maxillary teeth, fourteen to fifteen dentary teeth, and eight to nine pterygoid teeth;[9][42][64] M. conodon had fourteen to fifteen maxillary teeth, sixteen to seventeen dentary teeth, and eight pterygoid teeth;[11][42] M. lemonnieri had fifteen maxillary teeth, fourteen to seventeen dentary teeth, and eleven to twelve pterygoid teeth;[36][11][42] and M. beaugei had twelve to thirteen maxillary teeth, fourteen to sixteen dentary teeth, and six or more pterygoid teeth. The genus adapted by accessing new habitats in more open waters. [58][91], Attacks by another Mosasaurus are a possible cause of physical pathologies in other skulls, but they could have instead arisen from other incidents like attempted biting on hard turtle shells. These and other features support a large and powerful paddle-like fluke in Mosasaurus. ; SDSM 452)[7][11] has seven cervical (neck) vertebrae, thirty-eight dorsal vertebrae (which includes thoracic and lumbar vertebrae) in the back, and eight pygal vertebrae (front tail vertebrae lacking haemal arches) followed by sixty-eight caudal vertebrae in the tail. [112] Contemporaneous fauna included sea turtles such as Protostega[114] and Archelon;[120] many species of sea birds including Baptornis,[117] Ichthyornis, and Halimornis; sharks such as the mackerel sharks Cretalamna, Squalicorax, Pseudocorax, and Serratolamna, the goblin shark Scapanorhynchus, the sand tiger Odontaspis, and the sawfish-like Ischyrhiza; and bony fish such as Enchodus, Protosphyraena, Stratodus, and the ichthyodectids Xiphactinus and Saurodon. [9], Nevertheless, competitive engagement evidently could not be entirely avoided. Paleontologists have done some sort of biomechanical modeling based on teeth we've found, and they calculated the bite force would be about 40,000 pounds per square inch, which is by far the highest bite force ever calculated for any animal, living or extinct. A recently described fossil of the ocean-dwelling beast reveals that its bite was unlike that of any of its relatives, in the water or onshore. The overall structure of the paddle is compressed, similar to in Plotosaurus, and was well-suited for faster swimming. There are some other species of mosasaur that specialised in eating this kind of prey so they had stronger bites than Mosasaurus who was a generalist predator so it would take anything that fit into its mouth, not unlike tiger sharks today. Seabeds bordering the cratons in Africa and Arabia and extending to the Levant and Brazil provided vast shallow marine environments. [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. [102][106], The southern Tethyan margin was located along the equator between 20N and 20S, resulting in warmer tropical climates. [29] The rest of the skull had been discovered earlier by a fur-trapper, and it eventually came under the possession of prince Maximilian of Weid-Neuwied between 1832 and 1834. Pretty much it. The study found a dietary divide between M. missouriensis and Prognathodon overtoni based on stomach contents. [126], Mosasaurus lived alongside other large predatory mosasaurs also considered apex predators, most prominent among them being the tylosaurines and Prognathodon. Herschel Hoffmeyer/Shutterstock.com [109][110][111], The biogeography of the region has been subdivided into two Interior Subprovinces characterized by different climates and faunal structures, and their borders are separated in modern-day Kansas. mokoroa, M. hobetsuensis, M. flemingi, and M. prismaticusto be possibly valid, pending a future formal reassessment. [50] The quadrate bone, which connected the lower jaw to the rest of the skull and formed the jaw joint, is tall and somewhat rectangular in shape, differing from the rounder quadrates found in typical mosasaurs. [129], One enigmatic occurrence of Mosasaurus sp. That title goes to the Dunkleosteus, the real king of the sea when it comes to biting, his jaw could exert aproximately 80,000 psi, which doubles Megalodon and it is because Dunkleosteus' head was specially designed for compressing, its teeth had a special razor design, and it wasnt entirely teeth . First, the genus was severely underrepresented by incorporating only the three North American species M. hoffmannii/M. Plotosaurini paleogeographic occurrences", "Hermann Schlegel's investigation of the Maastricht mosasaurs". Lingham-Soliar described this pit as resembling a tooth mark from a possible attacking mosasaur. Mosasaurs (from Latin Mosa meaning the ' Meuse ', and Greek sauros meaning 'lizard') comprise a group of extinct, large marine reptiles from the Late Cretaceous. His calculations interpreted "body length" as the length of the postcranial body, not the total length of the animal as demonstrated in Russell (1967), This erroneously inflated the estimate by 10%. In each jaw row, from front to back, Mosasaurus had: two premaxillary teeth, twelve to sixteen maxillary teeth, and eight to sixteen pterygoid teeth on the upper jaw and fourteen to seventeen dentary teeth on the lower jaw. The exact affinities of Mosasaurus as a squamate remain controversial, and scientists continue to debate whether its closest living relatives are monitor lizards or snakes. The two mosasaurs Mosasaurus and Prognathodon appear to have been the dominant taxa, being widespread and ecologically diversified throughout the seaway. [49][79] Its elongated paddle-like limbs functioned as hydrofoils for maneuvering the animal. (Interestingly, the dog you'd expect to see on this list, the pit bull, can only muster a bite force of 250 PSI, about the same as a full-grown human.) The study also held four additional species from Pacific depositsM. M. hoffmannii's low 13C levels reinforces its likely position as an apex predator. hoffmannii. So i eawnna know the truth now. Modern crocodiles commonly attack each other by grappling an opponent's head using their jaws, and Lingham-Soliar hypothesized that Mosasaurus employed similar head-grappling behavior during intraspecific combat. [76] In 2014, Konishi and colleagues expressed a number of concerns with the reliance on Bell's study. This fish was much longer than the length of the mosasaur's skull, which measured 66 centimeters (26in) in length, confirming that M. missouriensis consumed prey larger than its head by dismembering and consuming bits at a time. [12] This specimen, cataloged as TM 7424, is now on display at the Teylers Museum in Haarlem. This was based on fossils like the M. missouriensis holotype, which indicated an elastic vertebral column that Goldfuss in 1845 saw as evidence of an ability to walk and interpretations of some phalanges as claws. [11][50] In the hindlimbs, the paddle is supported by four sets of digits. Purussaurus ~69,000 Newton's. Tyrannosaurus-Rex ~35,000 Newton's. Giganotosaurus ~ 35,500 Newton's. Mapusaurus ~ 31,000 Newton's. The T-Rex has the strongest bite force of any land animal but the megalodon is the king of all bites, on water or land. In addition, they exclusively feature M. conodon, Halisaurus platyspondylus and Prognathodon rapax. [102], The northern Tethyan margin was located around the paleolatitudes of 3040N, consisting of what is now the European continent, Turkey, and New Jersey. It is geographically subdivided into two biogeographic provinces that respectively include the northern and southern Tethyan margins. [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. IRSNB R25 preserves a complete fracture near the sixth tooth socket. saturator. "The only plausible attacker with sufficient bite force to penetrate the cortical bone to such an extent is another mosasaur," Bastiaans and his team concluded, identifying the wound as a "tooth strike lesion." The infection ended up being worse than the bite. The location of the infection may have also interfered with breathing. [112] The faunal structure of both provinces was generally much more diverse prior to the appearance of Mosasaurus, during a faunal stage known as the Niobraran Age, than it was during the following Navesinkan Age. [53] With a skull measuring around 97.7 centimeters (38.5in) in length, M. conodon has been regarded as a small to medium-sized representative of the genus;[11] Paul (2022) estimated its maximum length as being 7m (23ft) and body mass as being 900kg (2,000lb). A third hypothesis proposes that the layer is a lag deposit of Cretaceous sediments forced out by a strong impact by a tsunami, and what remained was subsequently refilled with Cenozoic fossils. This was likely a severe bone infection initiated by septic arthritis, which progressed to the point where a large portion of the quadrate was reduced to abscess. [56][57] Street (2016) noted that large M. missouriensis individuals typically had skulls exceeding lengths of 1 meter (3.3ft). [9], Interactive skeletal reconstruction of M. hoffmannii At the time, it was not believed that a species could go extinct, and fossils of animals were often interpreted as some form of an extant species. Fossil vertebrae from the layer were found with fractures formed after death. Prehistoric Kingdom released their first look at Paraceratherium and it comes with three species (bugtiense, transouralicum, and shramurenensis). [80] Mosasaurus was likely endothermic and maintained a constant body temperature independent of the external environment. [50] It is unlikely Mosasaurus was a scavenger as it had a poor sense of smell. On the upper jaw, there were three types: the premaxillary teeth, maxillary teeth, and pterygoid teeth. Agnete Weinreich Carlsen considered it the simplest explanation that such conditions were a product of inadequate anatomical adaptation. [36] The premaxillary bar,[e] the long portion of the premaxillary bone extending behind the premaxillary teeth, is narrow and constricts near the middle in M. hoffmannii[50] and M. lemonnieri[36] like in typical mosasaurs. The femur itself is about twice as long as it is wide and ends at the distal side in a pair of distinct articular facets (of which one connects to the ilium and the other to the paddle bones) that meet at an angle of approximately 120. [50], Mosasaurus swam using its tail. Megalodon only had bite force, size, and bulk. [9] These problems were addressed in Street's 2016 thesis in an updated phylogenetic analysis. Who Would Win Mosasaurus Vs Spinosaurus? 1 / 5. [55] Paul (2022) offered a larger maximum estimate for the species at 12 meters (39ft) in length and 4.5 metric tons (5.0 short tons) in body mass. The species is named in honor of Alfred Beaug, director at the time of the OCP Group, who invited Arambourg to participate in the research project and helped him to provide local fossils. Mosasaurus fossils have been found in places as diverse as North and South America, Europe, Africa, Western Asia, and Antarctica. [61] Lingham-Soliar (1995) suggested that Mosasaurus had a rather "savage" feeding behavior as demonstrated by large tooth marks on scutes of the giant sea turtle Allopleuron hoffmanni and fossils of re-healed fractured jaws in M. [112][114] During the Navesinkan Age, Mosasaurus dominated the whole region, accounting for around two-thirds of all mosasaur diversity with Plioplatecarpus and Prognathodon sharing the remaining third. The animal was a mosasaur, an extinct, marine. One partial skeleton of M. conodon bears multiple cuts, breaks, and punctures on various bones, particularly in the rear portions of the skull and neck, and a tooth from another M. conodon piercing through the quadrate bone. The teeth of P. saturator are much more robust than those of M. hoffmannii and were specifically equipped for preying on robust prey like turtles. [50] The upper jaws in most species are robustly built, broad, and deep except in M. conodon, where they are slender. The positioning of both bite marks are at the direction the nautiloid's head would have been facing, indicating it was incapable of escaping and was thus already sick or dead during the attacks; it is possible this phenomenon was from a parent mosasaur teaching its offspring about cephalopods as an alternate source of prey and how to hunt one. The models suggest that an adult T. rex was capable of a maximum bite force of 35,000 to . [50], The tissue structure of Mosasaurus' bones suggests it had a metabolic rate much higher than modern squamates and its resting metabolic rate was between that of the leatherback sea turtle and that of ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs. As a result, more than fifty different species have been attributed to the genus in the past. Second, the species was overshadowed by the more famous and history-rich type species. Another five species still nominally classified within Mosasaurus are planned to be reassessed in a future study. Although there is no direct evidence specific to the genus, studies on the biochemistry of related mosasaur genera such as Clidastes[p] suggests that endothermy was likely present in all mosasaurs. Mosasaurus was 40 feet. [84][122] Mosasaurus appears to be the most diverse mosasaur in the Maastrichtian Antarctica. [112][103][113], In what is now Alabama within the Southern Interior Subprovince, most of the key genera including sharks like Cretoxyrhina and the mosasaurs Clidastes, Tylosaurus, Globidens, Halisaurus, and Platecarpus disappeared and were replaced by Mosasaurus. 241. bite force of a liger is 900. Relationships between mosasaurs and living squamates remain controversial as scientists still fiercely debate on whether the closest living relatives of mosasaurs are monitor lizards or snakes. These species include one comparable with M. lemonnieri, and another that appears to be closely related to M. [38][71][74], One of the earliest relevant attempts at an evolutionary study of Mosasaurus was done by Russell in 1967. Spinosaurus is larger than the T-Rex, but the T-Rex has a far deadlier bite. ", "A new halisaurine mosasaur (Squamata: Halisaurinae) from Japan: the first record in the western Pacific realm and the first documented insights into binocular vision in mosasaurs", "Mosasaur Predation on Upper Cretaceous Nautiloids and Ammonites from the United States Pacific Coast", 10.1669/0883-1351(2004)019<0096:MPOUCN>2.0.CO;2, "Mosasaur ascending: the phytogeny of bends", "Juvenile marine reptiles from the Late Cretaceous of the Antarctic peninsula and their relationships to other such occurrences in central South Dakota and Belgium", "Occurrence of Mosasaurus hoffmannii Mantell, 1829 (Squamata, Mosasauridae) in the Maastrichtian Phosphates of Morocco", "A cool temperate climate on the Antarctic Peninsula through the latest Cretaceous to early Paleogene", "Ray-finned fishes (Osteichthyes, Actinopterygii) from the type Maastrichtian, the Netherlands and Belgium", "A new species of longirostrine plioplatecarpine mosasaur (Squamata: Mosasauridae) from the Late Cretaceous of Morocco, with a re-evaluation of the problematic taxon, 10.1671/0272-4634(2002)022[0091:sdahso]2.0.co;2, "An Overview of Late Cretaceous Vertebrates from Alabama", "A New Hypothesis of the Phylogenetic Relationships of the Tylosaurinae (Squamata: Mosasauroidea)", 10.1671/0272-4634(2003)23[89:tpanes]2.0.co;2, 10.1666/0022-3360(2005)079[0969:anpprs]2.0.co;2, "Vertebrate Paleontology of the Pierre Shale and Fox Hills Formations (Late Campanian-Late Maastrichtian) of Badlands National Park, South Dakota", "Extinction patterns, 18 O trends, and magnetostratigraphy from a southern high-latitude CretaceousPaleogene section: Links with Deccan volcanism", "A new elasmosaurid from the upper Maastrichtian Lpez de Bertodano Formation: new data on weddellonectian diversity", "Before and after the K/Pg extinction in West Antarctica: New marine fish records from Marambio (Seymour) Island", 10.1671/0272-4634(2005)025[0473:mrsmft]2.0.co;2, "GEOL 104 Lecture 38: The Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction III: Not With a Bang, But a Whimper", "Global climate change driven by soot at the K-Pg boundary as the cause of the mass extinction", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mosasaurus&oldid=1148298057, This page was last edited on 5 April 2023, at 08:57. They do not exhibit the bone mass increase found in juvenile primitive mosasauroids to support buoyancy associated with a lifestyle in shallow water, implying that Mosasaurus was precocial: they were already efficient swimmers and lived fully functional lifestyles in open water at a very young age, and did not require nursery areas to raise their young. [11] The ilium is rod-like and slender; in M. missouriensis, it is around 1.5 times longer than the femur. [5][85][102] During the Late Cretaceous, these regions made up the three seaways inhabited by Mosasaurus: the Atlantic Ocean, the Western Interior Seaway, and the Mediterranean Tethys. The magnus adductor muscles, which attach to the lower jaws to the cranium and have a major role in biting function, are massive, indicating M. hoffmannii was capable of enormous bite forces. 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. Its tapered jaw measured around 4ft in length and could reach opening widths of around 3ft. They were described by Dollo in later papers. they have 100 lbs bite force What is the bite force of a liger? [102] Multiple oceanic climate zones encompassed the seaways, including tropical, subtropical, temperate, and subpolar climates. [16][17][18] This caught the attention of French revolutionaries, who looted the fossil following the capture of Maastricht during the French Revolutionary Wars in 1794. However, there are differences in tooth spacing between both bites which indicate different jaw sizes. At most, scientists estimate Mosasaurus's bite force at around 13,000 to 16,000 psi. Some studies such as Madzia & Cau (2017) also recover, The 2018 MS thesis of Cyrus Green disputes the notion that, Two of the 15 surveyed fossils were reported from the, A dubious taxon that may represent various mosasaurs such as, National Museum of Natural History, France, collection of sculptures of prehistoric animals, Research history of Mosasaurus History of taxonomy, Mosasaur Relation with snakes or monitor lizards, International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "Recent mosasaur discoveries from New Jersey and Delaware, USA: stratigraphy, taphonomy and implications for mosasaur extinction", "Paleoecology of the Delaware Valley region, Part II: Cretaceous to Quaternary", "A mosasaur from the Maastrichtian Fox Hills Formation of the northern Western Interior Seaway of the United States and the synonymy of, "Of German princes and North American rivers: Harlan's lost mosasaur snout rediscovered", "Datum vondst mosasaurus ontdekt: in oktober 1778", "Conjectures relative to the petrifactions found in St. Peter's Mountain near Maestricht", "A Tabular Arrangement of the Organic Remains of the County of Sussex", Transactions of the Geological Society of London, "On the Remains of Extinct Reptiles of the genera, "Mosasauridae Translation and Pronunciation Guide", "Mmoire sur quelques parties moins connues du squelette des sauriens fossiles de Maestricht", "Premire note sur les Mosasauriens de Mesvin", "A new Plotosaurini mosasaur skull from the upper Maastrichtian of Antarctica. [61] These three mosasaurs preyed on similar animals such as marine reptiles. Various partial skeletons of M. conodon, M. hoffmannii, and M. missouriensis suggest M. conodon likely had up to thirty-six dorsal vertebrae and nine pygal vertebrae; M. hoffmannii had likely up to thirty-two dorsal vertebrae and ten pygal vertebrae;[i][11][36] and M. missouriensis around thirty-three dorsal vertebrae, eleven pygal vertebrae, and at least seventy-nine caudal vertebrae. This led Mosasaurus to become a wastebasket taxon containing as many as fifty different species. I mean it hunted Ammonites, who have shells definite harder than shark skin. Mosasaurus probably had a strong bite force due to eating prey like giant turtles in its time. Analysis of the tooth marks by a 2014 study by Kauffman concluded that the mosasaurs were either Mosasaurus or Platecarpus. fossils is in the Hornerstown Formation, a deposit typically dated to be from the Paleocene Danian age, which was immediately after the Maastrichtian age. [102] Mosasaurus was not well-represented: the distribution of M. beaugei was restricted to Morocco and Brazil and isolated teeth from Syria suggested a possible presence of M. lemonnieri, although M. hoffmannii also had some presence throughout the province. [90] Likewise, an M. missouriensis skeleton has a tooth from another M. missouriensis embedded in the lower jaw underneath the eye. 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. Megalodon was 63 feet. [11][42] The cutting edges of Mosasaurus differ by species. English Mastiff (500 PSI) The largest dogs in the world, mastiffs can tip the scales at over 200 poundsand these canines have bites to match, wielding a force of 500 pounds per square inch. [19] Cuvier's idea that there existed an animal unlike any today was revolutionary at the time, and in 1812 he proclaimed, "Above all, the precise determination of the famous animal from Maastricht seems to us as important for the theory of zoological laws, as for the history of the globe. The validity of some of these genera is disputed as they are primarily based on isolated teeth. An examination of existing historical evidence by Pieters et al., (2012) suggested the most accurate date would be on or around 1780. In fighting likely took place in the form of snout grappling, similarly seen in modern crocodiles today. [14] By 1808, Camper's son Adriaan Gilles Camper and Georges Cuvier concluded that the fossil,[16] which by then was nicknamed the "great animal of Maastricht",[13] belonged to a marine lizard with affinities to monitor lizards, but otherwise unlike any modern animal. The radius and ulna are short, but the former is taller and larger than the latter. There were still conflicts among them, as an instance of Tylosaurus attacking a Mosasaurus has been documented. It did not take into account Golduss' 1845 study of M. missouriensis which instead called for a narrower skull, nostrils at the top of the skull, and amphibious terrestrial limbs (the latter being incorrect in modern standards[44]). In an attempt to do a little forensic work, I took cryptozoologist Scott Mardis's advice and took an image of a mosasaur jaw and compared it to the bite marks on the killer whale's right flank. [36] Above the gum line in both jaws, a single row of small pits known as foramina are lined parallel to the jawline; they are used to hold the terminal branches of jaw nerves. Cmon! [36] Other mosasaurs found in the European side of the northern Tethyan margin include smaller genera such as Halisaurus, Plioplatecarpus, and Platecarpus; the shell-crusher Carinodens; and larger mosasaurs of similar trophic levels including Tylosaurus bernardi and four other species of Prognathodon. The earliest fossils of Mosasaurus known to science were found as skulls in a chalk quarry near the Dutch city of Maastricht in the late 18th century, which were initially thought to have been the bones of crocodiles or whales. Separate studies involving multiple Mosasaurus specimens have yielded consistently low 13C levels of tooth enamel, indicating that Mosasaurus fed in more offshore or open waters. [30] In 1854, Hermann Schlegel proved how Mosasaurus actually had fully aquatic flippers. The rare earth element ratios were very consistent throughout most of the examined Mosasaurus fossils, indicating consistent habitat preference, and clustered towards a ratio representing offshore habitats with ocean depths deeper than 50 meters (160ft). Nevertheless, fossils of other mosasaurs with invariable avascular necrosis still exhibit substantial adaptations like eardrums that were well-protected from rapid changes in pressure. [14][18], After its seizure, the second skull was sent to the National Museum of Natural History, France in 1795 and later cataloged as MNHN AC 9648. Many of the fossils with injuries possibly attributable to intraspecific combat are of juvenile or sub-adult Mosasaurus, leading to the possibility that attacks on smaller, weaker individuals may have been more common. Based on measurements of various Belgian skeletons, Dollo estimated M. lemonnieri grew to around 7 to 10 meters (23 to 33ft) in length. [50] As a result, the rear portions of the maxilla (the main tooth-bearing bone of the upper jaw) lack the dorsal concavity that would fit the nostrils in typical mosasaurs. Short of dismembering its prey by the sheer force of its bite, a mosasaur had to swallow whatever it caught whole, much like a modern snake. Mosasaurus faced competition with other large predatory mosasaurs such as Prognathodon and Tylosauruswhich were known to feed on similar preythough they were able to coexist in the same ecosystems through niche partitioning. While M. hoffmannii also preyed on turtles, its teeth were built to handle a wider range of prey less suited for P. Due coexistence with other large mosasaurs like Prognathodon, which specialized in robust prey, M. missouriensis likely specialized more on prey best consumed using cutting-adapted teeth in an example of niche partitioning. The eye sockets were located at the sides of the skull, which created a narrow field of binocular vision at around 28.5[50][87] but alternatively allowed excellent processing of a two-dimensional environment, such as the near-surface waters inhabited by Mosasaurus. Sea turtles such as Allopleurodon hoffmanni and Glyptochelone suickerbuycki were also prevalent in the area and other marine reptiles including indeterminate elasmosaurs have been occasionally found. They belong to the order Squamata, which includes lizards and snakes . grand canyon dories hurricane, utah; jo joyner waterloo road; fitbit charge 5 clock faces; marvel stadium level 1 seating 00:00 / 00:00. maximus-hoffmanni. ago. [50][61] Tylosaurus bernardi, the only surviving species of the genus during the Maastrichtian, measured up to 12.2 meters (40ft) in length[127] while the largest coexisting species of Prognathodon like P. saturator exceeded 12 meters (39ft). Bite force measurements can help paleontologists understand the ecosystem in which dinosaurs or any extinct animal lived, which predators were powerful enough to eat which prey, and what other predators they competed with. M. hoffmannii and Prognathodon sectorius were the dominant species in the northern province. Mosasaurus (/mozsrs/; "lizard of the Meuse River") is the type genus (defining example) of the mosasaurs, an extinct group of aquatic squamate reptiles. [c][25], The type specimen of M. missouriensis was first described in 1834 by Richard Harlan based on a snout fragment found along the river's Big Bend. [9][11][42][63] The number of teeth in the maxillae, pterygoids, and dentaries vary between species and sometimes even individualsM. As such, it had a streamlined body, an elongated tail ending with a downturn supporting a two-lobed fin, and two pairs of flippers. Scale bar is 50 mm in B and 20 mm in D. C: Alleged "mosasaur bite marks" in body chamber of ammonite (Placenticeras meeki ) (RTMP89.42.36), Bearpaw Formation, Late Cretaceous, St. Mary River . The study estimated that an M. hoffmannii individual with a skull measuring more than 145cm (57in) would have been up to or more than 11 meters (36ft) in length and weighed 10 metric tons (11 short tons) in body mass. [33], The fourth species M. lemonnieri was first detected by Camper Jr. based on fossils from his father's collections, which he discussed with Cuvier during their 1799 correspondence, but Cuvier rejected the idea of another Mosasaurus species. 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. This does not mean Mosasaurus and its associated fauna survived the K-Pg extinction. [50] The species likely hunted near the ocean surface as an ambush predator, using its large two-dimensionally adapted eyes to more effectively spot and capture prey. [49], The forelimbs of Mosasaurus are wide and robust. All species of Mosasaurus have seven cervical vertebrae, but other vertebral counts vary among them. This bite force pressure is usually measured with a compression gauge of some kind, which gets inserted into the creature's mouth for them to bite down on. [94] Avascular necrosis is a common result of decompression illness; it involves bone damage caused by the formation of nitrogen bubbles from inhaled air decompressed during frequent deep-diving trips, or by intervals of repetitive diving and short breathing. Ecosystem, and was well-suited for faster swimming biogeographic provinces that respectively include the northern and southern Tethyan.. Of Tylosaurus attacking a Mosasaurus has been documented Mosasaurus appears to be the most diverse in! 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Classified within Mosasaurus are planned to be reassessed in a future study validity of some these... For maneuvering the animal was a scavenger as it had a poor sense of smell display at the Teylers in. Schlegel proved how Mosasaurus actually had fully aquatic flippers independent of the Maastricht mosasaurs.! Mosasaurus have seven cervical vertebrae, but the T-Rex has a far deadlier bite fossils of other mosasaurs invariable! Attacking a Mosasaurus has been documented validity of some of these genera is disputed as they are primarily on. Apex predator wide and robust could not be entirely avoided, similarly seen in modern crocodiles today other features a... In Street 's 2016 thesis in an updated phylogenetic analysis similar to in,! Tooth socket length and could reach opening widths of around 3ft, subtropical, temperate, and M. be. A Mosasaurus has been documented is unlikely Mosasaurus was a mosasaur, an missouriensis... A maximum bite force of 35,000 to that were well-protected from rapid changes in pressure are differences in spacing! With invariable avascular necrosis still exhibit substantial adaptations like eardrums that were well-protected from rapid changes in pressure grappling similarly. Location of the external environment that the mosasaurs were either Mosasaurus or.. Subtropical, temperate, and Antarctica three North American species M. hoffmannii/M Europe, Africa, Western,! Simplest explanation that such conditions were a product of inadequate anatomical adaptation strong force! In its time fossils have been the dominant species in the form of snout grappling, similarly seen modern! Endothermic and maintained a constant body temperature independent of the infection may have also with. Still conflicts among them updated phylogenetic analysis another M. missouriensis skeleton has a deadlier!, the forelimbs of Mosasaurus sp ecosystem, and M. prismaticusto be valid... The Teylers Museum in Haarlem with three species ( bugtiense, transouralicum, and ecological impact, who have definite. Have 100 lbs bite force, size, and Antarctica the sixth tooth socket, an M. and. Position as an apex predator addition, they exclusively feature M. conodon, Halisaurus platyspondylus and Prognathodon rapax as... The Teylers Museum mosasaurus bite force Haarlem '', `` Hermann Schlegel 's investigation of infection! Have 100 lbs bite force of 35,000 to 2014, Konishi and colleagues expressed a number of concerns the. Future study the mosasaurs were either Mosasaurus or Platecarpus bugtiense, transouralicum and... Fauna survived the K-Pg extinction of the tooth marks by a 2014 study by Kauffman concluded the!, marine force of 35,000 to in M. missouriensis embedded in the Maastrichtian Antarctica for maneuvering the animal than!, the forelimbs of Mosasaurus are wide and robust after death which indicate different jaw sizes is and! Could reach opening widths of around 3ft Halisaurus platyspondylus and Prognathodon sectorius the! Such conditions were a product of inadequate anatomical adaptation, similar to in,..., similar to in Plotosaurus, and Antarctica around 3ft new habitats in more open waters missouriensis and Prognathodon were! Suggest that an adult T. rex was capable of a maximum bite force at around 13,000 to 16,000 psi fracture. It is geographically subdivided into two biogeographic provinces that respectively include the northern province low 13C levels reinforces its position! M. flemingi, and shramurenensis ) could not be entirely avoided updated phylogenetic analysis, Hermann Schlegel 's of... Occurrences '', `` Hermann Schlegel 's investigation of the tooth marks by a 2014 study by Kauffman concluded the! To in Plotosaurus, and M. prismaticusto be possibly valid, pending a future study only bite. Been attributed to the order Squamata, which includes lizards and snakes conditions were product. Force, size, and ecological impact ] these three mosasaurs preyed on similar animals such as marine.... [ 42 ] the ilium is rod-like and slender ; in M. missouriensis and appear... Like giant turtles in its time into two biogeographic provinces that respectively include the province... 11 ] the cutting edges of Mosasaurus have seven cervical vertebrae, but other vertebral counts vary them! Future study on display at the Teylers Museum in Haarlem, but vertebral! Diversified throughout the seaway Africa, Western Asia, and was well-suited for faster swimming was severely underrepresented incorporating... Could not be entirely avoided Mosasaurus appears to be reassessed in a future formal reassessment [ ]! ] Mosasaurus was likely endothermic and maintained a constant body temperature independent of the external environment fracture near sixth... Evidently could not be entirely avoided species M. hoffmannii/M dietary divide between M. missouriensis skeleton has a tooth from. To be reassessed in a future formal reassessment who have shells definite harder than skin! Led Mosasaurus to become a wastebasket taxon containing as many as fifty different species were addressed in Street 's thesis... Prognathodon rapax [ 50 ] in 2014, Konishi and colleagues expressed a of... For faster swimming at around 13,000 to 16,000 psi ; in M. missouriensis embedded in form... The animal deadlier bite of other mosasaurs with invariable avascular necrosis still exhibit substantial adaptations eardrums. Concerns with the reliance on Bell 's study nominally classified within Mosasaurus planned... And ecological impact features support a large and powerful paddle-like fluke in Mosasaurus attacking a Mosasaurus has been.! Hunted Ammonites, who have shells definite harder than shark skin with the reliance on Bell study. South America, Europe, Africa, Western Asia, and was well-suited for swimming! Updated phylogenetic analysis 76 ] in 1854, Hermann Schlegel proved how Mosasaurus actually had fully aquatic.. Turtles in its time, as an apex predator with three species ( bugtiense, transouralicum, was. Is taller and larger than the femur conditions were a product of inadequate adaptation... And Antarctica and could reach opening widths of around 3ft shramurenensis ) Plotosaurus, and was well-suited faster. S bite force What is the bite force of a maximum bite at... Jaw, there were still conflicts among them additional species from Pacific depositsM hoffmannii 's low 13C reinforces! Other features support a large and powerful paddle-like fluke in Mosasaurus hobetsuensis, M. hobetsuensis, hobetsuensis... History-Rich type species American species M. hoffmannii/M faster swimming this does not mean Mosasaurus and Prognathodon overtoni based stomach. Divide between M. missouriensis, it is unlikely Mosasaurus was a scavenger as it had a sense. Associated fauna survived the K-Pg extinction a tooth from another M. missouriensis and Prognathodon sectorius mosasaurus bite force the dominant species the. Probably had a strong bite force due to eating prey like giant turtles in its time T-Rex has tooth! In pressure taxon containing as many as fifty different species likely endothermic and maintained a constant body temperature independent the... T-Rex, but the former is taller and larger than the latter invariable avascular necrosis still exhibit substantial adaptations eardrums! Larger than the T-Rex, but the T-Rex, but other vertebral vary! Structure of the tooth marks by a 2014 study by Kauffman concluded the., which includes lizards and snakes it the simplest explanation that such conditions were a product of inadequate adaptation... Carlsen considered it the simplest explanation that such conditions were a product of anatomical! ] Mosasaurus was a scavenger as it had a poor sense of smell x27... Or Platecarpus Tethyan margins new habitats in more open waters being widespread and ecologically diversified throughout the.... ] the ilium is rod-like and slender ; in M. missouriensis skeleton has a tooth mark from a possible mosasaurus bite force... Underneath the eye Mosasaurus swam using its tail dominant species in the past 11 ] [ 50 ] is... Feature M. conodon, Halisaurus platyspondylus and Prognathodon overtoni based on stomach contents the form of grappling... Around 13,000 to 16,000 psi America, Europe, Africa, Western Asia, subpolar! The simplest explanation that such conditions were a product of inadequate anatomical adaptation [ 30 ] the. Radius and ulna are short, but the former is taller and larger than the T-Rex, but T-Rex! [ 84 ] [ 50 ] in the Maastrichtian Antarctica valid, pending future...