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| mosasaurus |
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| A group of supreme killers that had few enemies, except for each
other.
Type: Marine reptile
Size: Up to 17m in length
Weight: maximum 20 tonnes
Diet: Carnivore
Predators: Probably none
Lived: Late Cretaceous, 85-65 million years ago.
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The mosasaurs were one of the success stories of the late Cretaceous
period. The largest known mosasaur is Hainosaurus, which could reach 17
metres in length. Giant mosasaurs were the top predator in the sea and
were widespread across the world.
Much of their day would have been
spent swimming slowly near the seabed looking for suitable prey to
attack. Their diet consisted of slow moving animals like ammonites,
birds and turtles but they would also tackle larger and swifter prey,
such as sharks and plesiosaurs, when the opportunity arose. As the mosasaurs were not fast swimmers they would have stalked their
prey using natural cover provided by seaweed and rocks. Only when the
prey was within striking range would the mosasaur propel itself forward.
Being caught in a mosasaur’s jaws meant almost certain death. Although giant mosasaurs were the top predators in the sea, they were
still vulnerable to attack. One mosasaur fossil bears the marks of a
shark bite in its spine. |
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