Description:

North Africa, Morocco, Khouribga Province, late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian era, ca. 83.6 to 66 million years ago. An extraordinary, fossilized skull and lower jaw from Prognathodon curri, a prehistoric marine reptile from the mosasaur family. Prognathodon is a recently discovered genus, believed to be the largest among the mosasaurs - massive marine reptiles. Within this genus, Prognathodon curri is thought to be the largest species, and skull specimens are exceedingly rare, making this specimen particularly valuable. This carnivorous aquatic lizard had a streamlined body, a flattened tail, and webbed feet, resembling a flippered crocodile. Notably, it possessed pterygoid teeth located in its throat (visible in the upper skull), believed to have helped hold prey, allowing it to swallow large portions. Prognathodon also featured double-hinged jaws, like modern snakes, and a flexible skull to consume prey much larger than its mouth. Size of upper skull: 28" L x 11.5" W (71.1 cm x 29.2 cm); 22.5" H (57.2 cm) on included custom stand; larger teeth: 1.3" L (3.3 cm)

If you've seen the "Jurassic World" films, Mosy is the name of the mosasaur and the star of the aquatic feeding show, later becoming an unexpected hero by breaching to eat the hybrid dinosaur at the end. While this computer-generated version is about twice the size of the largest mosasaur fossils ever discovered, it vividly brings to life these fierce predators, complete with palatal teeth in action as it chomps down on a shark. The genus Mosasaurus includes dozens of species of marine reptiles, known as mosasaurs, which - though still debated - are widely considered to be more closely related to reptiles than dinosaurs. The name Mosasaurus means "Meuse lizard," referring to the first specimen found near the Meuse (Maas) River in Maastricht, Netherlands. Fittingly, the Maastrichtian geological stage, marking the mass extinction event that ended the Cretaceous period, is named after the formations where Mosasaurus was discovered. Before their extinction, mosasaurs were dominant marine predators, hunting fish, sharks, and even other mosasaurs. These marine reptiles achieved global distribution during the late Cretaceous, with their fossils unearthed on six continents.

Provenance: private New Jersey, USA collection, acquired from MesoFossils, Stroudsburgh, France

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#186870

  • Condition: Professionally repaired and restored and expected infill with new material. Approximately 80% or more original material. Teeth have repairs, with reattached pieces. The teeth are all original, but one tooth is missing. The skull is divided into 5 separate segments and are removable from the custom display stand.

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October 11, 2024 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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