16" Fossil Mosasaur (Prognathodon) Upper Jaw in Situ - Morocco

Fossil Mosasaur (Prognathodon) Upper Jaw in Situ - Morocco #325605

This is a 16" fossil mosasaur upper jaw section from the Phosphate Deposits near, Khouribga, Morocco. The jaw is fragmented within the rock, with the teeth scattered across the entire specimen. There are ten mosasaur teeth exposed across the jaw. A naturally associated mackerel shark (Serratolamna ascheroni) and multiple fish vertebrae can be found scattered throughout the sandstone as well.

There is one repaired crack that runs across the specimen and some areas of glue stabilization. It comes with a metal display stand to assist with horizontal presentation.

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.

Prognathodon was a large, successful mosasaur from the late Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic era. Mosasaurs were aquatic carnivorous reptiles related to modern monitor lizards and snakes. There are many species of Prognathodon found all over the world, suggesting that this genus had a worldwide distribution. Most Prognathodon species were around 15-18 feet (5-6 meters) in length, but the largest species, P. saturator was around 40 feet (13 meters) in length. Several adaptations, mainly of the jaws and teeth, indicate Prognathodon seemed specialized for hunting prey in deeper waters. These include specialized dentition for cracking open hard-bodied prey and slicing through their flesh, as well as reinforced eyes and eye sockets for withstanding deep ocean pressure.