9.3" Huge, Fossil Mosasaur (Tylosaurus) Vertebra With Stand - Texas

Huge, Fossil Mosasaur (Tylosaurus) Vertebra With Stand - Texas #316016

This is a 9.3" wide vertebra of a mosasaur (Tylosaurus proriger) collected from Texas. It was collected from the Cretaceous-aged Ozan Marl Formation in Texas. The preservation is outstanding with the majority of the vertebra showing very little weathering. There is a repaired crack with some minor gap fill restoration at the base of each process.

The specimen is accompanied by the pictured metal display stand.

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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