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13.8" Mosasaur (Pluridens) Jaw with Nine Teeth - Morocco
This is a 13.8" long fossil jaw section of a mosasaur from the Phosphate Deposits near Khouribga, Morocco. It is a portion of the mandible (lower jaw) from the left side of the skull. The specimen shows off the foramen and contains nine teeth still attached to the jaw. There are almost a dozen mosasaurs described from these deposits, but based on the teeth it is most likely from the species Pluridens serpentis.
The teeth are natural and have not been composited into the jaw. There has been some repair and stabilization work to both the teeth and the jaw with minimal gap fill restoration.
It comes with an acrylic display stand.
The teeth are natural and have not been composited into the jaw. There has been some repair and stabilization work to both the teeth and the jaw with minimal gap fill restoration.
It comes with an acrylic display stand.
Pluridens, meaning "many teeth", is an extinct genus of marine lizard belonging to the family Mosasauridae. It's placed in the subfamily Halisaurinae alongside the genera Phosphorosaurus, Eonatator, and Halisaurus. Compared to related halisaurines, Pluridens had longer jaws with more teeth, and smaller eyes. P. serpentis is found in Maastrichtian deposits in Morocco, in this instance, being the phosphate deposits of Khouribga, Morocco. It was briefly synonymized with Halisaurus by Lindgren and Siverson (2005), but subsequent studies rejected the synonymy.
About the Oulad Abdoun Basin
The Oulad Abdoun Basin in central Morocco is one of the most famous phosphate deposit regions in the world, not only for its economic importance but also for its extraordinary fossil wealth. Formed during the Late Cretaceous to Paleogene, these marine phosphate layers record a time when northern Africa was covered by a warm, shallow sea teeming with life.
What makes the Oulad Abdoun deposits especially significant is the remarkable preservation and diversity of vertebrate fossils found within the phosphate beds. The basin is renowned for producing abundant remains of marine reptiles such as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs, along with fossil sharks, rays, bony fish, and turtles. These fossils typically occur as isolated teeth, bones, and partial skeletons concentrated within the phosphatic sediments. Today, many of these specimens are collected as a byproduct of large-scale phosphate mining operations—rescued before the rock is processed and crushed—ultimately saving them from certain destruction in the rock crushers and preserving an extraordinary record of ancient marine life.
The Oulad Abdoun Basin in central Morocco is one of the most famous phosphate deposit regions in the world, not only for its economic importance but also for its extraordinary fossil wealth. Formed during the Late Cretaceous to Paleogene, these marine phosphate layers record a time when northern Africa was covered by a warm, shallow sea teeming with life.
What makes the Oulad Abdoun deposits especially significant is the remarkable preservation and diversity of vertebrate fossils found within the phosphate beds. The basin is renowned for producing abundant remains of marine reptiles such as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs, along with fossil sharks, rays, bony fish, and turtles. These fossils typically occur as isolated teeth, bones, and partial skeletons concentrated within the phosphatic sediments. Today, many of these specimens are collected as a byproduct of large-scale phosphate mining operations—rescued before the rock is processed and crushed—ultimately saving them from certain destruction in the rock crushers and preserving an extraordinary record of ancient marine life.
SPECIES
Pluridens serpentis
LOCATION
Oulad Abdoun Basin, Morocco
FORMATION
Phosphate Deposits
SIZE
13.8" long
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#334605
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