15.6" Fossil Mosasaur (Tylosaurus) Jaw Section - Kansas

Fossil Mosasaur (Tylosaurus) Jaw Section - Kansas #197481

This is a nicely preserved 15.6" mosasaur (Tylosaurus) jaw section from Gove County, Kansas. It has fantastic bone preservation and really gives context to the enormity of the jaws of these sea beasts. This is from the right side of the mandible (lower jaw).

This specimen comes with a display stand.

It has two large repaired cracks from when it was dug up and some gap fill restoration to flush out and stabilize the jaw. The remaining teeth are in varying states of repair, but considering the size and how old this fossil is, the specimen is in great condition.

Along with plesiosaurs, sharks, fish, and other genera of mosasaurs, Tylosaurus was a primary predator of the Western Interior Seaway during the Late Cretaceous. Among the largest of all the mosasaurs, Tylosaurus reached a maximum lengths of 14 meters (46 feet). A distinguishing characteristic is its elongated, cylindrical premaxilla (snout) from which it takes its name, and which may have been used to ram and stun prey and also for intraspecific combat. Tylosaurus was designated as one of two official Kansas state fossils in 2014.

The Smoky Hill Chalk Member of the Niobrara Chalk formation is a Cretaceous conservation Lagerstätte, or fossil-rich geological formation, known primarily for its exceptionally well-preserved marine reptiles. It outcrops in parts of northwest Kansas--its most famous localities for fossils--and in southeastern Nebraska. Large, well-known fossils excavated from the Smoky Hill Chalk include marine reptiles such as plesiosaurs, large bony fish such as Xiphactinus, mosasaurs, pterosaurs, and turtles.

SPECIES

Tylosaurus sp.

AGE

Late Cretaceous (~83 Million Years)

LOCATION

Gove County, Kansas

FORMATION

Niobrara Formation

SIZE

15.6"

15.6" Fossil Mosasaur (Tylosaurus) Jaw Section - Kansas

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