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The Mosasaur Thread

Galvasean

It looks like protein tissue from the Cretaceous mosasaur Prognathodon has been found.
I for one look forward to seeing the monster in Sea World

Swedish scientists detail their new mosasaur find. The researchers note that the earlier ancient protein extractions have been controversial, but note that their new research is backed up by several tests to corroborate the tissue's authenticity.

The researchers used infrared microspectoscopy, mass spectrometry, and a chemical analysis on the ancient sea-going predator's remains to make sure what they had found was not contamination from bacteria or other modern sources.

Read more here.

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Adam Khor

Phosphorosaurus had huge eyes that faced forwards and probably fed on deep-sea, bioluminiscent fish and squid:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151208133445.htm

Linnaeus

What's most important about this creature is its binocular vision: an evolutionary development which gave it an advantage over other mosasaurs and aquatic predators.

Adam Khor

It certainly shows these guys were more diverse than we usually give them credit for.

Maybe a swordfish-like mosasaur will follow...

Adam Khor

https://www.foss-rec.net/21/55/2018/fr-21-55-2018.pdf
Bite may be from a mosasaur similar to Prognathodon.

Adam Khor

https://www.astrobio.net/also-in-news/smallest-ever-tylosaurus-fossil-sheds-light-on-species/

Baby Tylosaurus skull sheds light on species

Adam Khor

New paper/digital reconstruction of Phosphorosaurus:

http://www.town.mukawa.lg.jp/secure/5408/Shinmura_Konishi_2018.pdf

Adam Khor

Fossils of the Huehuetla quarry, Mexico. Most intriguingly, there's a preserved tail of an early mosasaur, which shows the soft tissue outline including an incipient tailfin.

https://palaeo-electronica.org/content/2019/522-921/2457-huehuetla-turonian-vertebrates-figures#f8

Adam Khor

Tylosaurus was one of the largest mosasaurs, growing up to 12-15 m. It was, however, less massive than the later Mosasaurus.

Article is in Spanish:

https://www.elheraldodechihuahua.com.mx/local/descubren-en-ojinaga-craneo-de-mosasaurio-3947443.html

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Rubecula

excellent info there thanks for posting it up..

Adam Khor

Mosasaurs swam using both their tail and their forelimbs, study says. Their swimming style would've been different from any other tetrapod known.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mosasaurs-had-mean-breast-stroke-180973214/

Adam Khor

Mysterious fossil nicknamed "The Thing", from latest Cretaceous of Antarctica, is finally identified as a giant soft-shelled egg- the largest ever found, and possibly belonging to a mosasaur.

https://www.npr.org/2020/06/17/877679868/scientists-find-the-biggest-soft-shelled-egg-ever-nicknamed-the-thing

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An associated paper suggests some (if not most) dinosaurs would've laid soft-shelled eggs as well, explaining the rarity of dinosaur eggs in the fossil record.

Important to note; there's good evidence that mosasaurs, plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs were viviparous, so that they identify the egg as coming from a mosasaur- which would have to lay the egg only for it to hatch immediately, lest the newborn mosasaur drown, is somewhat odd. There's already debate among paleontologists right now as to what the egg may have belonged to, with some suggesting a dinosaur (the egg was found in marine sediments but that doesn´t mean it belonged to a marine animal) or even a large turtle.

Adam Khor

New mosasaur from Morocco found, named Gavialimimus due to its gharial-like, long and thin snout with interlocking teeth (typical traits of a specialized fish eater).

http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/gavialimimus-almaghribensis-08930.html

Adam Khor

New genus of mosasaur, Gnathomortis (jaws of death) from North America.

http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/mosasaur-genus-gnathomortis-08881.html