7.7" Huge Fossil Mosasaur (Tylosaurus) Vertebra - Texas

Huge Fossil Mosasaur (Tylosaurus) Vertebra - Texas #335029

This is a 7.7" wide mosasaur (Tylosaurus proriger) vertebra collected from Fannin County, Texas. It comes out of the Cretaceous-aged Ozan Marl Formation in Texas. The preservation is nice with the majority of the vertebra showing little weathering. The base of the left transverse process has a large repaired crack with gap fill restoration and a portion of the posterior end of the centrum is missing.

The specimen is accompanied by an acrylic display stand to assist with presentation.

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.

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