MOSASAURUS

Meuse (River) lizard/reptile

Mosasaurus lived from about 82 to 66 million years ago during the Campanian and Maastrichtian stages of the Late Cretaceous. It had a snakelike body with a large skull and a long snout. Their limbs were modified into paddles having shorter limb bones and more numerous finger and toe bones than those of their ancestors. The tail region of the body was long, and its end was slightly downcurved in a manner similar to that of the early ichthyosaurs. The backbone consisted of more than 100 vertebrae. The jawbones are notable in that they were jointed near mid-length (as in some of the advanced monitors) and connected in front by ligaments only. This arrangement enabled the animals not only to open the mouth by lowering the mandible but also to extend the lower jaws sideways while feeding on large prey.

Length : 17.6 meters (56 ft)