As a result, more than fifty different species have been attributed to the genus in the past. Mosasaurus also has large haemal arches located at the bottom of each caudal vertebra which bend near the middle of the tail, which contrasts with the reduction of haemal arches in other marine reptiles such as ichthyosaurs. [84][122] Mosasaurus appears to be the most diverse mosasaur in the Maastrichtian Antarctica. For example, the braincase of the mosasaur Plioplatecarpus marshi provided for a brain around twice the size of that in M. hoffmannii despite being only half the length of the latter. The swimming style was likely sub-carangiform, which is exemplified today by mackerels. [90] Likewise, an M. missouriensis skeleton has a tooth from another M. missouriensis embedded in the lower jaw underneath the eye. [24] In 1818, a fossil from Monmouth County, New Jersey became the first North American specimen to be correctly recognized as a Mosasaurus by scientists of the time. Its tapered jaw measured around 4ft in length and could reach opening widths of around 3ft. This rigid but highly shock-absorbent structure of the cranium likely allowed a powerful bite force. They are placed further toward the back of the skull than in nearly all other mosasaurs (exceeded only by Goronyosaurus), and begin above the fourth or fifth maxillary teeth. 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. #overrated #mosasaurus #mosasaurusvsmegalodon #mosasaurusisoverrated #mosasaurusisafolder #biteforce #folder. [50], In modern lizards, the mechanical build of the skull is characterized by a four-pivot geometric structure in the cranium that allows flexible movement of the jaws, possibly to allow the animals to better position them and prevent prey escape when hunting. Join. [83] It may have also been a factor that allowed Mosasaurus to thrive in the colder climates of locations such as Antarctica. Megalodon is coming into the ring with a brutal bite force of 275,000 kPa. [7] Russell (1967) wrote that the length of the jaw equalled one tenth of the body length in the species. [7][36] Despite being the best anatomically represented species, M. lemonnieri was largely ignored in scientific literature. fossils from Alabama, the Demopolis Chalk, and the Hornerstown Formation. In 1808, naturalist Georges Cuvier concluded that it belonged to a giant marine lizard with similarities to monitor lizards but otherwise unlike any known living animal. The fossils were found in association with fossils of Squalicorax, Enchodus, and various ammonites within a uniquely fossil-rich bed at the base of the Hornerstown Formation known as the Main Fossiliferous Layer. [72] The cladogram on the right (Topology B) is modified from Street's 2016 doctoral thesis proposing a revision to the Mosasaurinae, with proposed new taxa and renamings in single quotations. [7], In 1995, Lingham-Soliar studied the head musculature of M. hoffmannii. Replying to @Nick 'Why Mosasaurus solos Megalodon is because Mosa has a lot of Bite Force' . 241. [83][84][85][86], Mosasaurus had relatively large eye sockets[50] with large sclerotic rings occupying much of the sockets' diameter;[36] the latter is correlated with eye size and suggests it had good vision. Evidence of reworking typically comes from fossils worn down due to further erosion during their exposure at the time of redeposition. [92] However, the attacking mosasaurs of the M. conodon and M. missouriensis specimens were likely similar in size to the victims. Other marine reptiles such as the marine monitor lizard Pachyvaranus and the sea snake Palaeophis are known there. [97][98] Microanatomical studies on bones of juvenile Mosasaurus and related genera have found that their bone structures are comparable to adults. [82] This adaptation would have given several advantages to Mosasaurus, including increased stamina when foraging across larger areas and pursuing prey. fossils is in the Hornerstown Formation, a deposit typically dated to be from the Paleocene Danian age, which was immediately after the Maastrichtian age. The genus adapted by accessing new habitats in more open waters. ; 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. [53], The skull of Mosasaurus is conical and tapers off to a short snout which extends a little beyond the frontmost teeth. Another five species still nominally classified within Mosasaurus are planned to be reassessed in a future study. The Mosasaurus had 250 teeth, and scientists estimate its bite force at around 13,000 to 16,000 psi. [95], Unnatural fusion of tail vertebrae has been documented in Mosasaurus, which occurs when the bones remodel themselves after damage from trauma or disease. But especially compared to those in M. lemonnieri, the pterygoid teeth in M. hoffmannii are relatively small, which indicates ratchet feeding was relatively unimportant to its hunting and feeding. Who Would Win Mosasaurus Vs Spinosaurus? This sort of attack has been compared to the defensive behavior of bottlenose dolphins using their beaks to kill or repel lemon sharks, and it has been speculated that T. bernardi dealt the offensive attack via an ambush on an unsuspecting Mosasaurus. Why are there still bozos thinking Mosa has a stronger f**king bite force than Megalodon?! [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. (2018). Plotosaurini paleogeographic occurrences", "Hermann Schlegel's investigation of the Maastricht mosasaurs". [75], The following cladogram on the left (Topology A) is modified from a maximum clade credibility tree inferred by a Bayesian analysis in the most recent major phylogenetic analysis of the Mosasaurinae subfamily by Madzia & Cau (2017), which was self-described as a refinement of a larger study by Simes et al. Mosasaurus is a genus of mosasaur, carnivorous, aquatic lizards, somewhat resembling flippered crocodiles, with elongated heavy jaws. [50], Like all mosasaurs, the lower jaws of Mosasaurus could swing forward and backward. This creates a rigid three-pivot geometric cranial structure. I cropped an image of the skull of Prognathodon, a macropredatory mosasaur confirmed to have reached 40' in length (I have recently been privy to . [21][b] Cuvier later designated the second skull as the new species' holotype (defining example). It was hypothesized that these adaptations helped maintain resource partitioning between the two mosasaurs. Mosasaurus fossils have been found less than 15 meters (49ft) below the boundary in the Maastricht Formation, the Davutlar Formation in Turkey, the Jagel Formation in Argentina, Stevns Klint in Denmark, Seymour Island, and Missouri. A 2017 study by Hallie Street and Michael Caldwell performed the first proper diagnosis and description of the M. hoffmannii holotype, which allowed a major taxonomic cleanup confirming five species as likely validM. Fossil evidence suggests Mosasaurus inhabited much of the Atlantic Ocean and the seaways adjacent to it. 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. Most mosasaur teeth are cone shaped and do not have the cutting edges typical of shark or theropod teeth. t elliott welch court date. [f][40] The cutting edges of M. beaugei are neither serrated nor smooth, but instead possess minute wrinkles known as crenulations. 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 . [129][130] The last fossils of Mosasaurus, which include those of M. hoffmannii and indeterminate species, occur up to the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary (K-Pg boundary). Did mosasaurus actually have a stronger bite force than t rex? [97] Such fossil records, along with a total absence of any evidence suggesting external egg-based reproduction, indicates the likeliness of viviparity in Mosasaurus. 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. The latter rendered Mosasaurus paraphyletic (an unnatural grouping), but Bell (1997) nevertheless recognized Plotosaurus as a distinct genus. The exact year is not fully certain due to multiple contradicting claims. Tylosaurus was the third new genus of mosasaur to be described from North America behind Clidastes and Platecarpus and the first in Kansas. [22] He coined the specific epithet and initially identified it as a species of Ichthyosaurus[28] but later as an amphibian. hoffmannii. A lion can exert 600 psi, and jaguar can exert 2000 psi. [7][9] Third, there was still a lack of comparative studies of the skeletal anatomy of large mosasaurines at the time. [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 study found a dietary divide between M. missouriensis and Prognathodon overtoni based on stomach contents. This distribution encompassed a wide range of oceanic climates including tropical, subtropical, temperate, and subpolar climates. Aside from Zarafasaura in Morocco, plesiosaurs were scarce. 1 mo. No injuries on the fossil show signs of healing, suggesting that the mosasaur was killed by its attacker by a fatal blow in the skull. This formed through a combination of catastrophic seismic and geological disturbances, mega-hurricanes, and giant tsunamis caused by the impact of the Chicxulub asteroid that catalyzed the K-Pg extinction event. 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