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Exceptional 22.5" Fossil Mosasaur (Thalassotitan) Dentary - Morocco
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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"
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#334754
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