LARGE MOSASAUR PADDLE
Mosasaurus sp.
Cretaceous, Maastrichtian age
Khouribga phosphate deposits, Morocco
The Mosasauridae of the late Cretaceous were a widespread family of predatory marine reptiles, considered to be the closest relatives of today's snakes. They varied in size from 10 to 60 feet long, with elongated, streamlined bodies and broad, powerful tails for swift movement in the shallow waters of the epicontinental seas across the globe. This specimen comes from the abundant phosphate deposits of Morocco, and displays the typically superb preservation of the locale. A single, large paddle, its owner must have been quite a monster. Evocatively mounted on a discreet metal armature, it boasts a lovely sandy patina, with pale salmon blushing, fine bone texture, and neat restoration, 26 1/4 inches long and standing 13 inches high on an ebonized display stand.