Some of the best-preserved remnants of ancient mosasaurs can be found in Morocco. Researchers report a new type of mosasaur called Gavialimimus almaghribensis in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.
The Mosasaurus are a species of large marine reptiles similar to the size of the large land predator, the Tyrannosaurus, during the Cretaceous Period 65 to 145 million years ago. The gigantic sea monster grew up to 30 feet long.
Some of the modern-day species related to mosasaurs are monitor lizards and snakes. The new species, identified by researchers from the University of Alberta, Flinders University, and the University of Cincinnati, gained insight on how the aquatic reptile survived in its highly competitive ecosystem.
Ancient Sea Monsters
Some of the marine reptiles they competed with for food included ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs. Ichthyosaurs are the descendants of modern snake and lizard species and developed gills similar to dolphins and fish. Plesiosaurs were unique sea monsters with long necks and were somewhere in between fish and reptiles.
The "G. almaghribensis is characterized by a highly elongate snout, highly retracted nares (nostrils), and large supratemporal fenestrae (holes on the side of the skull), among other features," wrote the authors. The new species' discovery also sheds light on the evolution of the extinct species to modern-day species and had similar characteristics to gharials, the largest crocodilian species.
Catherine Strong from the University of Alberta shared that the mosasaur's long snout indicates how it "adapted to a specific form of predation, or niche partitioning, within this larger ecosystem." After all, they were competing with other large marine predators for territory and resources.
Its interlocking teeth and long snout are believed to give the predator the ability to catch moving prey rapidly, explained Strong. In comparison, the Globidens mosasaurs had globular teeth for crushing shelled prey.
The adaptations of all mosasaur species are not so dramatic, explained Strong, but the evidence points to an entirely new species. Overall, mosasaurs are a very diverse species.
Read Also: Newly Discovered Fossils Support Theory Claiming Spinosaurus Led Aquatic Life
Phosphate Mines in Morocco
In conclusion, the unique features of the new species "suggest morphological specialization into distinct ecological and predatory niches to reduce competition and enable coexistence in diverse ecosystems,' wrote the authors. The diversity of mosasaurs show how they all coexisted and branched off to different paths through evolution, said Strong.
The researchers also found no evidence explaining its possible cause of death. The discovered skull was measured to be about three feet long, along with some of the creature's teeth and bones.
The phosphate mines of Morocco is a great place to discover fossils, said Strong. The phosphates reflect sediments from marine environments millions of years ago and have provided evidence of several mosasaurs in a single location.
A prominent phosphate sedimentary basin in Morocco, the Oulad Abdouin Basin, contains vertebrate fossils up to 25 million years old. For years, archaeologists have discovered several ancient reptile and bird species.
Check out more news and information on Paleontology on Science Times.
