13.3" Fossil Mosasaur Tooth And Jaw - Morocco

This is an excellent fossil rooted Moasaur (Prognathodon) tooth and jaw of a Mosasaur (Halisaurus) from Phosphate Deposits near, Khouribga, Morocco. The Platecarpus tooth is 4.8" including the root. The tooth has been broken and an indentation worn in the root. This occurred prior to or during fossilization. The Halisaurus jaw is a 4.2" portion of the mandible (lower jaw) from the right side of the skull and contains 5 teeth. This is an incredible specimen with no restoration or compositing.

About Halisaurus

Halisaurus is a comparatively small Mosasaur, maxing out at around 10 feet in length. It was a sleek and likely quick member of the family. Besides its small size, it had distinctive backward-curving teeth likely used for grasping slippery prey like fish. A paper describing this species can be found below.

Description of new specimens of Halisaurus arambourgi BARDET & PEREDA SOBERBIOLA, 2005 and the relationships of halisaurinae

=Halisaurus glides through the Late Cretaceous seas, its streamlined body and powerful tail propelling it past schools of fish in a sunlit prehistoric ocean.
=Halisaurus glides through the Late Cretaceous seas, its streamlined body and powerful tail propelling it past schools of fish in a sunlit prehistoric ocean.

About Mosasaurs

Mosasaurs were large, carnivorous marine reptiles that lived during the Late Cretaceous Period, approximately 90 to 66 million years ago. Though often mistaken for dinosaurs, they were actually more closely related to modern monitor lizards, including the Komodo dragon. Over time, their ancestors transitioned from land to sea, evolving paddle-like flippers, streamlined bodies, and powerful tails that made them highly efficient swimmers. Some species developed crescent-shaped, shark-like tail fins that allowed for strong, sustained propulsion through open water. Sizes varied widely, with many species measuring 20 to 30 feet long, while the largest—such as Mosasaurus hoffmannii—may have exceeded 50 feet in length.

As apex predators, mosasaurs occupied the top of the marine food chain. Their long jaws were lined with sharp, conical teeth ideal for gripping slippery prey, and fossil evidence shows they fed on fish, sharks, ammonites, seabirds, and even other mosasaurs. Despite their fully aquatic lifestyle, mosasaurs were air-breathing reptiles and had to surface regularly, much like modern whales. They thrived in oceans around the world until the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event 66 million years ago, which wiped out the dinosaurs and many marine reptiles, bringing the age of mosasaurs to an end.

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DETAILS
SPECIES
Halisaurus arambourgi, Prognathodon sp.
LOCATION
Oulad Abdoun Basin, Morocco
FORMATION
Phosphate Deposits
SIZE
4.8 rooted tooth, 4.2" jaw, 9.6 x 6.8" rock
ITEM
#113117
GUARANTEE
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