A MOSASAUR DEVOURING AN AMMONITE
Mososaurus sp.; Placenticeras meeki
Upper Cretaceous
Morocco; Canada
This remarkable assemblage features two genera that were found all across the world, over 65 million years ago. The Mosasaur species were ferocious predators, some of whom could grow to many times the size of our modern day great white shark. This Moroccan skull is a first-class specimen, with superb bone texture and attractive pale sandy patination, 32 inches long, with a complete array of long, curving teeth, and the curious, secondary set of pterygoid teeth on the palate. In its jaws it holds a fine 13 1/4 inch wide ammonite, from the Bearpaw Formation in southern Canada. Specimens from this locality are rare and highly desirable, for the phenomenon whereby the nacreous lining of their shell is preserved as highly-colored, precious gem ammolite. It is present here, all over the specimen, in rich iridescent shades of green, orange, yellow and even hints of the much rarer blue and purple. What is more, the shell bears some curious marks which are surmised to be actual damage from a contemporaneous mosasaur, making this handsome assemblage highly appropriate. A fine, aesthetic display piece, both fossils are raised on an ingenious ebonized metal display stand, 24 1/2 inches high overall.