Mosasaur Tooth In Phosphate Rock

This genuine fossil tooth belonged to a Mosasaur, a ferocious prehistoric marine reptile that lived 70 million years ago. It’s embedded in the original phosphate rock matrix and is nicely preserved.

Mosasaurs have become famous since they were highlighted in the Hollywood film, Jurassic World. They were the apex predators of the ancient oceans. It's hard to imagine the biting force of these ancient beasts, which were incredibly huge; they dwarfed the largest crocodile and doubled the body length of a Great White shark.

Mosasaur’s massive jaws were hinged and could expand to swallow large prey, including other mosasaurs, sea turtles and sharks. They had two sets of razor sharp teeth in the upper jaw, including curved teeth that ensured their prey couldn’t escape.

The first Mosasaur fossils were excavated near the Meuse River in Germany in 1764, but this tooth comes from Morocco. Interestingly, Mosasaurs are closely related to modern monitor lizards, like the Komodo dragon, and not technically dinosaurs.