21.5" Fossil Mosasaur Skull With Vertebrae - Asfla, Morocco

Fossil Mosasaur Skull With Vertebrae - Asfla, Morocco #225275

This is an awesome piece from the Upper Cretaceous (Early Turonian Stage) deposits near Asfla, Morocco. It is a skull and associated vertebrae of a small Mosasaur (Tethysaurus nopcsai). The specimen is comprised of a disarticulated skull with a total of 33 natural teeth within the jaws on the front and back of the piece and eleven visible vertebrae with a few ribs in their positions. Overall it measures 21.5 x 11"

There is some touch-up restoration and minor gap fill on the specimen, including some crack repair at various points on the rock and through some of the bones. This is a really cool piece that shows off the forward portion of one of the lesser known mosasaur species. An excellent piece for any collection!

A custom stand can be made for this specimen upon request. Don't hesitate to reach out!

Tethysaurus was a small-to-medium-sized mosasaur that lived during the Early Turonian stage of the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 93 million years ago. It grew to around 10 feet (3 meters) in length and seemed to be a transitional species between some of the more primitive mosasaurs and later mosasaur groups. Its fossils have been found near the villages of Asfla and Tadirhourst in east-central Morocco.

Tethysaurus was named after Tethys,‭ ‬the ancient Greek goddess of the sea. The ancient Tethys Ocean, which once separated Laurasia‭ (‬the northern continents‭) ‬from Gondwana‭ (‬the southern continents‭), is also named for this Greek goddess.