Extremely rare mosasaur species.
This tooth has been stabilized on its surface by Paraloid B-72 to ensure its stability and consistency. This process does not affect neither the color nor any of the characteristics. It simply makes the specimen better preserved in the long term.
In the international market is very common to find Mosasaurus rests coming from the phosphate quarries of the Upper Cretaceous of the Ouled Abdoun Basin (Morocco).
This quarries have been exploited since the beginning of the past century. Many sellers that sell this fossils do not make a good precise taxonomic identification work.
In these sites there are numerous different species of Mosasaurus described in the enormous assemblage of giant marine reptiles that reigned the seas during the Cretaceous.
The main rich levels in these paleontological taxons are in the deeper stratigraphic levels of the sedimentarian filling of the Ouled Abdoun Basin. The age of these correspond to the Maastrichtian stage, 66 million years ago.
Most of the research carried out on these marine reptiles from Morocco have been performed by French researchers.
Next we list the different Mosasaur species which have been recognised in the phosphate rocks in North Africa:
-Halisaurus aramborgi (Bardet et al., 2005)
-Halisaurus walkeri (Lingham-Solier, 1998)
-Prognathodon sp (Dollo, 1889)
-Prognathodon anceps (Leiodon anceps)
-Prognathodon solvay (Dollo, 1889)
-Prognathodon currii (Christiansen & Bonde, 2002)
-Eremiasaurus heterodontus (LeBlanc et al., 2012)
-Mosasaurus beaugei (Arambourg, 1952)
-Mosasaurus hoffmanni (Mantell, 1829)
-Tylosaurus (Marsh, 1872)
-Platecarpus ptychodon (Arambourg, 1954)
-Globidens phosphaticus (Bardet et al., 2005)
-Carinodens belgicus (Bardet et al., 2005)
The Ouled Abdoun Basin (or Khouribga Basin), located in the central sector of Morocco, is an enormous sedimentarian basin represented mostly by a vast filling of phosphate sediments. Apart from having a relevant raw material to be extracted, it has a series of very important paleontological sites in which amazing assemblages from big and small marine vertebrates are present. The basin has a so great continuity in its stratigraphic record that both the Upper Cretaceous as well as the two first epochs of the Paleogene (Paleocene and Eocene) can be studied.
The main assemblage of vertebrate fossils of the Paleogene sector present there is composed by sharks, fish, turtles, marine snakes, rays, crocodiles, other types of reptiles and even marine birds. In the Cretaceous part we can add Mosasaurs, Pterosaurs and Plesiosaurs.
Next you can visit a link with very interesting information about this sedimentarian basin rich in fossil vertebrates: Ouled Abdoun Basin
Mosasaurus hoffmanni
systematic paleontology
Class : Reptilia Linnaeus, 1758
Superorder : Squamata Oppel, 1811
Order: Sauria ( = Lacertilia Owen, 1842) McCartney,1802
Infraorder: Platynota DumCril & Bibron, 1836
Family: Mosasauridae Gervais, 1853
Subfamily: Mosasaurinae Williston, 1897
Genus : Mosasaurus Conybeare, 1822
Type species : Mosasaurus hoffmanni Mantell, 1829
Sources: The Fossil Forum - Moroccan Mosasaurs - General Fossil Discussion
Diagnosis: Very large mosasaurine mosasaur teeth bearing 1-2 prisms on the labial surface.
The maxilla : 14 large prismatic teeth with enormous barrelshaped bases.
The dentary :14 prismatic teeth are present.
Rare mosasaur in moroccan phosphates many time confused with Mosasaurus beaugei , more present in sidi-daoui maestrichian level 3. Officialy non present in Morocco.
