Today we are going to take a close look at the fascinating marine reptile, Tylosaurus. This massive creature lived dring the Cretaceous period about 85 million years ago and is thought to be the largest of all mosasaurs.
Tylosaurus was an impressive creature that could grow more than 45 feet (14 meters) long and had a muscular, vertically flattened tail that allowed it to make rapid bursts of acceleration in order to ambush its prey. Its body was shaped like a large snake with a ram-shaped snout and big conical teeth for catching prey. It had a large, strong chest and arms and big flippers that helped it swim through the ancient body of water known as the Western Interior Seaway which once cut through what is now North America.
Being related to modern day snakes and monitor lizards, Tylosaurus had an interesting diet that included turtles, plesiosaurs, other mosasaurs, larger fish and shellfish. It’s believed that Tylosaurus descended from aigialosaurs; smaller lizards who took to the seas earlier in the Cretaceous period in order to escape predation by dinosaurs. Unfortunately for Tylosaurus, it too became extinct alongside the dinosaurs during the K/T extinction event.
It’s amazing how these creatures were able to survive despite their size and environment. It just goes to show how resilient nature can be even when faced with extreme conditions. The next time you go for a swim or explore an ocean or river, take a moment to remember Tylosaurus and all of its prehistoric relatives!
Comparing the Size of Tylosaurus and Mosasaurus
Tylosaurus is the largest of the mosasaurs, with a length of more than 45 feet (14 meters). This makes it larger than Mosasaurus, which has an estimated length of 30 to 50 feet (9 to 15 meters). Both species were powerful marine predators, usng their long and muscular tails to propel them through the water. Tylosaurus in particular had great speed and agility, which it used to ambush its prey with sudden bursts of acceleration.
Source: kids.nationalgeographic.com
Was the Tylosaurus Real?
Yes, the Tylosaurus was real! It was a mosasaur, a large aquatic lizard that lived during the Cretaceous period about 85 million years ago. It dwelled in the Western Interior Seaway, an ancient body of water that once cut trough what is now North America. Paleontologists have discovered fossil remains of the Tylosaurus in Kansas and other parts of North America, confirming its existence in prehistoric times.
It is an extinct genus of mosasaur, a large marine reptile that lived during the Late Cretaceous period (83 to 66 million years ago). Tylosaurus had a long body, big flippers, and a strong tail for swimming. Its snout was shaped like a ram’s head and it had conical teeth for capturing prey. Its diet included turtles, plesiosaurs, other mosasaurs, larger fish, and shellfish. Scientists have identified three species of Tylosaurus: T. proriger, T. nepaeolicus and T. saskatchewanensis. Fossils of this ancient creature have been found in North America and Europe.
Coexistence of Tylosaurus and Mosasaurus
Yes, Tylosaurus and Mosasaurus lived together durig the Cretaceous period. Both species belonged to the same family of large aquatic reptiles known as Mosasaurs, which evolved from aigialosaurs – small lizards that had taken to the seas to escape predation by dinosaurs. They both lived in the same marine habitats and shared many similarities in their anatomy and behavior. However, Tylosaurus was generally much larger than its relatives, reaching lengths of up to 16 meters (52 feet). They also had different diets; while Mosasaurus mainly ate fish and squid, Tylosaurus was an apex predator that preyed upon large sea creatures such as plesiosaurs and other mosasaurs. Ultimately, both species died out at the end of the Cretaceous period with the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Comparing the Size of the T. Rex and the Mosasaurus
No, the T. rex is not bigger than the Mosasaurus. According to the Mosasaur Size Chart, Mosasaurus is the largest mosasaur, measuring up to an estimated 17 meters long and weighing up to 8 metric tons. In comparison, T. rex was estimated to be 12-13 meters long and weigh around 6-9 metric tons. Therefore, it can be concluded that Mosasaurus was larger than T. rex in both length and weight.
Source: commons.wikimedia.org
Comparing the Fighting Abilities of Mosasaurus and Megalodon
In a fight between a Mosasaurus and a Megalodon, the outcome is clear – the Megalodon would win. The Megalodon was much larger and more powerful than the Mosasaurus, measuring an estimated 60 feet in length compared to the Mosasaurus’ 40 feet. The Megalodon had an incredibly robust body with huge jaws built for devouring whales and other large marine mammals, while the Mosasaurus had slender jaws designed for catching smaller prey. Furthermore, the Megalodon’s bite force was far greater than that of the Mosasaurus, giving it an even greater advantage. It would only take one catastrophic bite for the Megalodon to end the battle – soething which the Mosasaurus would not be able to withstand.
Number of Teeth in a Tylosaurus
A Tylosaurus had a total of 80 to 88 teeth. It had 24 to 26 teeth in the upper jaw, 20 to 22 teeth on the palate, and 26 teeth on the lower jaw.
The Causes of the Extinction of Mosasaurus
Mosasaurus, like all other non-avian dinosaurs, became extinct 65.5 million years ago due to a giant asteroid impacting Earth at the end of the Cretaceous period. The asteroid is believed to have caused a major global environmental catastrophe that impacted all life on Earth, leading to the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs, including Mosasaurus. This event is known as the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction event and is considered one of the largest mass extinctions in Earth’s history.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Tylosaurus was an impressive marine reptile that dominated the Cretaceous seas of the Western Interior Seaway. With its long, muscular tail and powerful chest and arms, it could accelerate quickly to ambush its prey. Its ram-shaped snout and conical teeth made it well-equipped for catching turtles, plesiosaurs, other mosasaurs, larger fish and shellfish. Though we may never know exactly how these giant predators lived their lives, we can still marvel at the power and size of this ancient creature.
