A team of scientists has made a groundbreaking discovery in the Mississippi River, uncovering a fossilized backbone that could belong to the largest mosasaur ever found in the state. The giant sea dragon, estimated to be at least 30 feet long, is believed to have belonged to the Mosasaurus hoffmanni species.
According to geologist James Starnes, who spotted the fossil protruding from a stream bed, he was “awe-struck” by its size and feeling that this discovery never gets old. The vertebra fossil, which is over 7 inches wide at its widest point, has been compared to other mosasaur remains in the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science.
Researchers believe that the giant mosasaur likely had no shortage of food in what is now Mississippi, with a diverse environment teeming with life including sharks, fish, marine lizards, and ammonites. The discovery sheds new light on the largest mosasaurs, which are known to have reached lengths of up to 50 feet.
The Mosasaurus hoffmanni species was an apex predator that hunted down prey with large jaws and cone-shaped teeth. It is believed that this giant mosasaur may be the largest ever found in the state’s history, and its discovery has provided new insights into the marine ecosystems of the time.
The discovery comes at a significant period in Earth’s history, when non-avian dinosaurs went extinct alongside the mosasaurs after the Chicxulub asteroid struck. The extinction event had a profound impact on the rich marine ecosystems that supported these dominant ocean predators.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/geologist-left-awe-struck-giant-151258187.html