In Depth The sheer expanse of Plioplatecarpus remains in both Europe and North America indicate that this mosasaur was a predator that frequented the open ocean, and was not restricted to just hunting in shallow waters like some smaller mosasaurs have been presumed to have been. Additionally Plioplatecarpus had proportionately larger eyes than other mosasaurs … Read more
In Depth Kourisodon was first described from fossil remains discovered in British Columbia, though since this time more partial remains from Japan have been attributed to the genus. Not only does this significantly expand upon the known geographical range of Kourisodon, but it indicates that Kourisodon existed from the Santonian of the Canadian deposits, all … Read more
In Depth Pontosaurus was a semi aquatic lizard with an extremely elongated body that features a laterally compressed tail around twice the length of the body. Pontosaurus is so snake-like that it is considered to represent the form of reptiles that were ancestral to snakes, though was probably not the ancestor due to its late … Read more
In Depth Related to the mosasaurs, the exact classification of Dolichosaurus is a little uncertain with its exact closeness to the Mosasauridae a little uncertain. Dolichosaurus is noted for having a long thin build and is speculated to have been a weak swimmer. This in turn has led to past speculation that it may have … Read more
In Depth Madtsoia is the genus that was used to name the Madtsoiidae group of prehistoric snakes that include others such as Gigantophis of North Africa to the much later Wonambi of Australia. Madtsoia is one of the older members with fossils indicating that it was active during the time of the dinosaurs. Unfortunately no … Read more
In Depth Although Globidens was not the only mosasaur to adapt to a diet of almost exclusively hard shelled animals, it does display perhaps the most specialised teeth. Rather than the sharp conical teeth seen in other mosasaurs such as Tylosaurus and Taniwhasaurus, Globidens had rounded teeth that had a ‘globe shaped’ upper portion of … Read more
In Depth Whereas mosasaurs are usually represented by the larger forms such as Mosasaurus hunting and killing other marine reptiles, Yaguarasaurus as a plioplatercarpine would have used speed to hunt smaller and faster prey such as fish. To date even though the fossil material for Yaguarasaurus is largely incomplete, it still remains one of the … Read more
In Depth Although first discovered in Angola, it’s entirely plausible that Angolasaurus had a wider distribution since it was a marine creature and had the freedom of the ocean to travel. As a plioplatecarpine mosasaur, Angolasaurus is considered to be related to Platecarpus, Plioplatecarpus and Selmasaurus amongst others. Further Reading – O Neocretacio e o … Read more
In Depth Prognathodon was a late mosasaur that showed a trend towards a different kind of predation that saw it living like the much earlier basal placodont reptiles of the Triassic such as Placodus. This means that Prognathodon specialised in eating tough shelled prey items like shellfish, ammonites and turtles. The diet of Prognathodon was … Read more
In Depth A late Cretaceous era snake of the Indian subcontinent, the discovery of Sanajeh has revealed a little bit more about Mesozoic ecosystems. The holotype specimen of Sanajeh was found not only alongside several sauropod eggs, but also the remains of a hatchling sauropod, probably a titanosaur of about fifty centimetres length. It is … Read more