Mosasaurs were large marine reptiles that dominated the oceans of the Cretaceous period. Though they lived at the same time as many dinosaurs and have a name reminiscent of a dinosaur’s, Mosasaurs are not dinosaurs at all. In fact, they closest living relatives are monitor lizards and snakes. Mosasaurs gained popular fame with the release of Jurassic World (2015), which depicts them as gargantuan, bulky-bodied giants. However, Mosasaurs in reality were sleeker and generally far smaller than the film’s depiction. The longest type of Mosasaur was the Tylosaurus, which reached up to 45-50 feet in length.
As ocean dwellers, Mosasaur fossils are found throughout the world. One freshwater variation was even found in Hungary. They were formidable predators whose diet included all types of smaller marine creatures like ammonites, fish, smaller mosasaurs, and even sea birds. While Mosasaurs stalked the ocean similar to modern sharks, as reptiles they still had to breach the surface for air like whales or sea turtles. Also similar to whales, it is likely that Mosasaurs had live births.
Mosasaurs were large marine reptiles that dominated the oceans of the Cretaceous period. Though they lived at the same time as many dinosaurs and have a name reminiscent of a dinosaur’s, Mosasaurs are not dinosaurs at all. In fact, they closest living relatives are monitor lizards and snakes. Mosasaurs gained popular fame with the release of Jurassic World (2015), which depicts them as gargantuan, bulky-bodied giants. However, Mosasaurs in reality were sleeker and generally far smaller than the film’s depiction. The longest type of Mosasaur was the Tylosaurus, which reached up to 45-50 feet in length.
As ocean dwellers, Mosasaur fossils are found throughout the world. One freshwater variation was even found in Hungary. They were formidable predators whose diet included all types of smaller marine creatures like ammonites, fish, smaller mosasaurs, and even sea birds. While Mosasaurs stalked the ocean similar to modern sharks, as reptiles they still had to breach the surface for air like whales or sea turtles. Also similar to whales, it is likely that Mosasaurs had live births.