5.4" Fossil Mosasaur (Platecarpus) Parietal Bone - Kansas

Fossil Mosasaur (Platecarpus) Parietal Bone - Kansas #197622

This is a 5.4" long, parietal bone of a Mosasaur (Platecarpus sp.) from the Late Cretaceous, Smoky Hill Chalk in Gove County, Kansas. This bone was situated at the back of the mosasaur's skull, near where the spine connects to the head. The parietal foramen is visible, though not completely hollowed out. The underside of this specimen was left unprepared from the rock it was found in. This creates a nice contrast that shows off the amazing bone preservation.

This specimen is accompanied by an acrylic display stand.

An artist's reconstruction of Platecarpus. By Dmitry Bogdanov Creative Commons License

Platecarpus is an extinct aquatic lizard belonging to the mosasaur family. Fossils have been found in the United States as well as possible specimens in Belgium and Africa. It reached lengths of up to 14 feet long: half of that length was its tail alone. Platecarpus probably fed on fish, squid, and ammonites. Like other mosasaurs, it was initially thought to have swum in an eel-like fashion, though a recent study suggests that it swam more like modern sharks.

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.

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