In Depth Russellosaurus represents a primitive mosasaur, marine reptiles that would go on to achieve a variety of sizes and specialisations that would see them becoming the dominant predators of the late Cretaceous seas. Russelosaurus itself displays a number of features which are diagnostic of more than one mosasaur group, something that suggests that these … Read more
In Depth The holotype specimen of Pannoniasaurus was first discovered in 1999, and finally described to science as a new genus of mosasaur in 2012. This description made history in the field of mosasaur research as it marked the first time that a mosasaur had been found in a freshwater deposit. Before this discovery, mosasaurs … Read more
In Depth Although discovered in mainland Mexico, it needs to be remembered that back in the late Cretaceous this area was actually underwater. The problem with Amphekepubis is that it has been described upon very incomplete remains, leading to speculation that Amphekepubis may actually be another mosasaur (Possibly Mosasaurus). Additionally there is further speculation that … Read more
In Depth Haasiasaurus was originally named as Haasia in 1999, but when it realised that Haasia had already been used to name a genus of millipede, the mosasaur needed to be renamed, hence the change to Haasiasaurus in 2003. As a mosasaur, Haasiasaurus would have been a predator of fish and other marine reptiles. Further … Read more
In Depth With an average size of up to four meters long Clidastes was tiny when compared to the larger mosasaurs such as Mosasaurus and Tylosaurus (the latter of which is actually considered to have been a potential predator of Clidastes). The small size of Clidastes suggests that it specialised in hunting smaller and swifter … Read more
In Depth Liodon was amongst the earliest named genera of mosasaur, with a taxonomic history going all the way back to 1841 when the naturalist Richard Owen first named the genus. However, back then Richard Owen spelt the name as Leiodon, but a few years later it was realised that the name Leiodon had already … Read more
In Depth Plesioplatecarpus was initially named as a species of the genus Clidastes by Edward Drinker Cope back in 1874 during a period dubbed the ‘bone wars’. Later this species was assigned to the genus Platecarpus, before finally being named as an independent genus in 2011. Although different to Platecarpus, Plesioplatecarpus is still recognised as … Read more
In Depth Hainosaurus is usually considered to be one of the largest known mosasaurs; however its actual size is a subject of on-going study. Early length estimates placed Hainosaurus at seventeen meters, while later study towards the end of the twentieth century revised this down to fifteen. A Hainosaurus specimen from Sweden that was described … Read more