5.8" Fossil Mosasaur (Tethysaurus) Jaw Section - Goulmima, Morocco

Fossil Mosasaur (Tethysaurus) Jaw Section - Goulmima, Morocco #107085

This is a beautiful 5.8" fossil jaw section of Tethysaurus nopcsai, a medium sized Mosasaur from Goulmima, Morocco. This is most of the dentary bone (lower jaw) from the left side of the jaw. The dentary is the part of the lower jaw from the tip of the jaw to behind the last tooth. The bone is very well preserved and cracks are the result of pressure during the process of fossilization.

There are several repaired cracks in the stone. This is done to stabilize the specimen.

Comes with a display stand.

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.