Exceptional 22.5" Fossil Mosasaur (Thalassotitan) Dentary - Morocco

Note: Because of its size and weight, this piece will ship via freight on a pallet or in a crate. Our website can’t automatically calculate freight charges, so shipping costs will be determined and billed after purchase. If you’d like a quote beforehand, please contact us prior to ordering.


This is a spectacular fossil mosasaur (Thalassotitan atrox) left and right dentary from the Phosphate Deposits near Khouribga, Morocco. The jaw is fragmented in spots and held together by the rock in which it was found. There are 23 total teeth exposed across the specimen; 17 are complete, 2 are unerupted, 2 are incomplete, and there are two more incomplete teeth on the back. A naturally associated crow shark (Squalicorax sp.) can be found within the sandstone between the dentaries.

Measurements:

Entire specimen - 23.3 x 22 x 11.5"
Bone height/width - 21.5 x 16.2"
Longest jaw measurement - 22.5" long

There are some repaired cracks through a few of the teeth and several areas of glue stabilization. That being said, there is no significant restoration to this magnificent specimen. The base of it is a chunk of false rock that holds the specimen upright.

About Thalassotitan

Thalassotitan was one of the most formidable marine predators of the Late Cretaceous seas. Discovered in the phosphate deposits of Morocco and described in 2022, this giant mosasaur lived around 66 million years ago, just before the mass extinction that ended the age of dinosaurs. Its name—meaning “sea titan”—is fitting: Thalassotitan reached lengths of up to 30 feet and possessed a massive, powerfully built skull unlike that of most other mosasaurs.

What set Thalassotitan apart was its role as a true apex predator. Its broad jaws and robust, banana-shaped teeth were not designed for snatching small, slippery prey, but for crushing and tearing apart large animals. Fossil evidence suggests it preyed on sizable marine reptiles such as plesiosaurs, sea turtles, and other mosasaurs, placing it at the very top of the Late Cretaceous marine food web. In ecosystems already crowded with large predators, Thalassotitan stood out as a specialist hunter of other giants.

It comes from the massive phosphate deposits in the Oulad Abdoun Basin near Khouribga, Morocco. These deposits are mined for phosphate, one of Morocco's biggest exports. The fossils are collected as a byproduct of the mining operations, saving them from certain destruction by the rock crusher.
SOLD
DETAILS
SPECIES
Thalassotitan atrox & Squalicorax sp.
LOCATION
Oulad Abdoun Basin, Morocco
FORMATION
Phosphate Deposits
SIZE
Jaw: 22.5" long, Entire Specimen: 23.3 x 22.2"
ITEM
#334754
GUARANTEE
We guarantee the authenticity of all of our specimens.