mosasaur

The Wakayama Soryu, a mosasaur discovered in Japan and comparable in size to a great white shark, lived 72 million years ago with unique features like elongated rear flippers and a shark-like dorsal fin. This significant find, named Megapterygius wakayamaensis, challenges previous assumptions about mosasaur swimming and hunting behaviors (Artist’s concept). Credit: SciTechDaily.comThe Wakayama Soryu, a newly described mosasaur known as the “blue dragon,” possessed a shark-like dorsal fin.Researchers have detailed a…

Dinosaurs’ reign on Earth ended explosively (and then dustily, as we’ll mention in this story) when an asteroid slammed into Earth some 66 million years ago. But the dinosaurs—and the diverse ancient creatures they shared the planet with—have kept many secrets locked away in their fossilized remains, secrets which…Read more... Dinosaurs’ reign on Earth ended explosively (and then dustily, as we’ll mention in this story) when an asteroid slammed into Earth some 66 million years ago. But the dinosaurs—and the diverse…

Illustration of how Stelladens mysteriosus may have looked. Credit: Dr. Nick LongrichResearchers have unearthed a new species of rare mosasaur in Morocco, further illustrating the vast diversity of these marine reptiles that existed 66 million years ago.Researchers have unearthed a new <span class="glossaryLink" aria-describedby="tt" data-cmtooltip="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>species</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>A species is a group of living organisms that share a set…

Scientists have discovered a new species of mosasaur, a giant sea-dwelling lizard that dates back to the age of the dinosaurs, that stands out because of its unique, star-shaped teeth.It’s thought that mosasaurs and other marine reptiles were on a rapid evolutionary path until about 66 million years ago when a 6-mile-wide (10-km-wide) space rock called the Chicxulub impactor, slammed into the Earth off the coast of what's now the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out the dinosaurs and around 90% of life on the planet.The…