Tylosaurus

Tylosaurus

• North America, Europe, New Zealand

Tylosaurus was a great mosasaur from the Upper Cretaceous. Smaller species, such as Tylosaurus kansasensis, reached lengths of 7 meters, while Tylosaurus progier is estimated at 12 to 13 meters in length.

The name Tylosaurus (Greek Tylos = knob, button ) goes to the elongated, cylindrical snout back and comes from Othniel Charles Marsh, 1872 for the first time remains of which were from Kansas described. Fossils of animals have been found in North America, Europe and New Zealand. Mosasaur fossils have been found on islands off the Antarctic Peninsula may also belong to Tylosaurus, or to the closely related Hainosaurus.

The largest species Tylosaurus proriger had an up to 1.8 meters long head, 72 backward curved, sharp teeth in its mouth and weighed an estimated 8 tons. At a 1917 found by Charles H. Sternberg in Kansas Fossil also part of the area covered by overlapping scales skin are preserved.

Tylosaurus probably lived near the coast in shallow water.

Species

• Tylosaurus dyspelor ( Cope, 1871), Upper Cretaceous of North America
• Tylosaurus haumuriensis ( Hector, 1874) Syn Taniwhasaurus oweni, lower to middle Campanian of New Zealand
• Tylosaurus proriger ( Cope, 1869), Santonian to middle Campanian of North America
• Tylosaurus nepaeolicus ( Cope 1874), Santonian of Kansas ( USA)
• Tylosaurus kansasensis ( Everhart, 2005), late Coniacian of Kansas.