Prehistoric Juvenile Mosasaur Fossilized Skull

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Fine Antiquities, Asian, Ethno, Fine Art

By Artemis Fine Arts

May 1, 2025

Set Reminder 2025-05-01 10:00:00 2025-05-01 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Fine Antiquities, Asian, Ethno, Fine Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/fine-antiquities-asian-ethno-fine-art-19334
Showcasing an extraordinary array of artifacts and art, including Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Asian, Pre-Columbian, Native American, Tribal, Oceanic, Spanish Colonial treasures, fossils, fine and visual arts, and more! All ancient items are ethically sourced and legally available for sale. Enjoy the ease of in-house shipping for a seamless experience! Artemis Fine Arts info@artemisfinearts.com

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• Lot Description
  North Africa, Morocco, Khouribga region, Upper Cretaceous, ca. 80 to 66 million years ago. A fossilized skull, jaws, and teeth belonging to a juvenile mosasaur. This impressive specimen highlights the powerful hinged jaws and teeth, including the pterygoid teeth located in the throat, which likely helped secure prey. This adaptation suggests mosasaurs could swallow massive pieces - or even entire animals - in one bite! These carnivorous lizards had streamlined bodies, flattened tails, and webbed feet, resembling flippered crocodiles. They inhabited shallow seas, preying on fish, sharks, and even other mosasaurs. Various mosasaur species swam across oceans and inland seaways, achieving a global distribution during the Late Cretaceous. While this specimen likely belongs to Mosasaurus or Prognathodon, its juvenile stage makes precise identification difficult. See below for differences between the two. Size: 14" L x 5.75" W (35.6 cm x 14.6 cm); 8.5" H (21.6 cm) on included custom stand; largest tooth: 1" L x 0.75" W (2.5 cm x 1.9 cm).
  
  Mosasaurus was generally larger and more streamlined, with an elongated skull and sharp teeth for catching fish and marine reptiles, whereas Prognathodon had a shorter, more robust skull with thick, rounded teeth specialized for crushing hard-shelled prey. While both lived during the Late Cretaceous, Mosasaurus had a global distribution and was an apex predator, whereas Prognathodon was more powerfully built and favored durophagy but could also hunt larger prey.
  
  Provenance: private New Jersey, USA collection, acquired from Desert Star Fossils, Arizona, USA in 2023
  
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  #191633

  Condition

  Professionally prepared with infill and restoration. Approximately 80% or more original material. Some losses to tooth enamel, with visible break lines and chips.
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