Scientists Discover Fossils of a Dagger-Toothed Sea Monster in Morocco That Ruled the Oceans Before the Asteroid Hit
The Daily Galaxy • • science
Key Points:
- Scientists have discovered a new fossil marine lizard species, Khinjaria acuta, from about 66 million years ago in Morocco, revealing a diverse and predator-rich Late Cretaceous ocean ecosystem.
- Khinjaria acuta belonged to the Mosasauridae family and featured a short, powerful snout with long, dagger-like teeth specialized for piercing and gripping prey, indicating a top predator role.
- The Late Cretaceous seas off Morocco hosted multiple large mosasaur species with varied tooth morphologies, suggesting diverse feeding strategies and a complex marine predator community unlike modern oceans.
- The exceptional fossil diversity in Morocco’s phosphate deposits is attributed to the region’s ancient shallow, nutrient-rich epicontinental sea,
