Species: Mosasaurus hoffmanni Mosasaur type: Squamata Period: Late Cretaceous Diet: Meat (carnivorous) Lifespan: about 42 years Length: up to 16 meters Weight: up to 15 tons
Data
- Mosasaurus was discovered in 1764 by Lieutenant Jean Baptiste Drouin.
Engraving illustrating the discovery of a skull in 1786 in a chalk quarry on Mount St. Peter - Mosasaurus received its scientific name Mosasaurus hoffmanni in 1829 from Gideon Mantell.
- The holotype skeleton of Mosasaurus hoffmanni is MNHNP AC9648, which is just a skull.
Sketch of Hoffmann’s Mosasaurus holotype - The name Mosasaurus means Lizard of the Meuse River.
- The name Mosasaurus is pronounced: Mose-sores.
- Mosasaurus was part of a group of mosasaurs known as aquatic squamates.
- Mosasaurus is a member of the Mosasauridae family.
- Mosasaurus lived in the Late Cretaceous between 66 and 70 million years ago.
- The largest specimen of a mosasaurus discovered was up to 16 meters long.
- Mosasaurus was longer than the fearsome Tyrannosaurus Rex.
- Mosasaurs were carnivorous aquatic hunters and their prey most likely included fish, marine reptiles, birds, pterosaurs, smaller mosasaurs, and possibly even land-dwelling dinosaurs.
- The teeth of the mosamaker had the shape of sharp spikes, which allowed them to grab the prey and hold it.
- The twostep jaw of the Mozaurus allowed him to open his jaw wide and swallow the prey entirely.
- Mosazaur is considered one of the last MosaAurides.
- Mosazaur is considered one of the largest mosabreeds.
- The Mozazaurus spent most of the time at the surface of the ocean, like modern whales, since they breathed in the same way.
- Paleontologists believe that the mosaurians gave birth to alive, like whales, instead of laying eggs.
- The MosaZavre could be found in the oceans around the world in the Late Street period.
- It is assumed that the Mozazaur lived in the waters of North America and Western Europe. Perhaps they also lived in the waters of Japan and New Zealand.
