The "final boss" of the movie "Jurassic World" turns out to be this!

The "guest" we are interviewing today is a Mosasaur fossil specimen, which is located in the Age of Dragons exhibition hall of our museum. This exhibit is produced in Morocco, belongs to the Prognathodon, and its scientific name is Prognathodon anceps.

This type of mosasaur had a strong head and thick teeth, and was a very ferocious predator. This specimen is seven meters long, with a fossil content of more than 75% and a skull integrity of up to 90% , making it one of the most complete mosasaur fossil skeletons known.

Mosasaur is one of the largest marine reptiles ever to appear in history, and the largest individual is estimated to be about 20 meters. In the famous movie "Jurassic World" series, Mosasaur appeared on the big screen as the "final boss".

The scientific name of Mosasauridae means "lizard from the Meuse River", because the first Mosasaur fossil was found in Maastricht in the Meuse River Basin in 1780. It is a type of aquatic reptile with a snake-like appearance. Mosasaurs appeared in the Late Cretaceous 93 million years ago and disappeared in the Late Cretaceous 65 million years ago. They only existed for less than 30 million years, but they were the most ferocious residents in the ocean in history.

There are many species of Mosasauridae, which can be divided into:

Mosasaurinae ,

Tylosaurinae ,

Halisaurinae and

Plioplatecerpinae

There are four subfamilies. According to statistics, there are about 30 genera and more than 60 species under the Mosasaur family. According to Russell's statistics in 1993, paleontologists have discovered more than 1,823 fossil specimens.

Why is Mosasaur's attack power so strong?

After evolving into a super-large individual, Mosasaur became a veritable overlord of the ocean . In addition to its super-large size, the following features of the Mosasaur body also help it attack other animals:

1. They have a flat and long skull . Some members of the Mosasaur family also have a bulbous structure on their heads, which is used to hit prey and enemies during hunting or fighting;

2. Good vision and hearing enable them to perceive subtle changes in their surroundings, which helps them hunt and avoid enemies;

3. Although their noses are not very good, their forked tongues , like those of snakes, with numerous olfactory cells on the tip of the tongue can sense the smells from two directions at the same time, ensuring that they will not miss any prey;

4. Its large body and thick neck provide it with a strong bite force ;

5. The dorsal vertebrae have obvious vertebral processes and concavities. This special structure locks the vertebrae tightly together, making the dorsal vertebrae stronger.

6. They have specialized flippers that help them control direction and balance their bodies when moving through the water;

7. The tail, which accounts for almost half of the total length of the body, provides a source of power for them to move forward in the water. Some groups, such as Plotosaurus, have evolved a more advanced half-moon-shaped tail. Such a tail has two lobes, the upper lobe of which develops upward from the descending point of the coccyx and is supported by cartilage, while the lower lobe develops along the descending coccyx and is connected to the upper lobe. This shape can make the tail more flexible, thus providing greater power for their movement.

Were all Mosasaurs super large?

Early members of the Mosasaur family were very small, about 1-7 meters long, with a slender head, a mouth full of sharp teeth, a slender body, and a narrow tail. They had to swing their bodies in an S shape to propel themselves forward in the water. However, the small size of the Mosasaur family did not last long. Within about 3 million years, they evolved into super-large individuals, such as Tylosaurus proriger, which could reach 15-18 meters in length, close to the size of modern humpback whales.

How did Mosasaur give birth to its babies?

Mosasaurs living in water can also choose the ovoviviparous reproduction method like the ichthyosaur family. They can give birth to 3-5 baby Mosasaurs at a time. However, because young Mosasaurs have to live independently from birth, it is not easy for them to survive to adulthood.