Mosasaurus ("lizard of the Meuse River", for the location of the first-found specimen) is a genus of mosasaurs, extinct carnivorous aquatic seafaring reptiles. It existed during the Maastrichtian age of the late Cretaceous period, between about 70 and 66 million years ago, in western Europe, North America, and possibly Japan and New Zealand.
It has been hypothesized that Mosasaurus and/or Plesiosaurus fossils formed the basis of "sea serpent" myths such as Tiamat and Cetus.
Mosasaurus in Chicxulub Asteroid Missed[]
Mossies still swam the oceans in the modern era. They were warm blooded, gave live birth, and needed air to breathe, despite being aquatic.[1] People hunted mossies (and plessies) for their meat and liver oil. However, mossies were dangerous animals and could easily kill people.[2][3]
When hunted, mossies had four different options: young ones were simply harpooned, others fled, others dove, and, in the worst case scenario, they charged the harpooning vessels.[4]
One such specimen, the Great Gray Mossy, achieved legendary status, after numerous mossy hunters failed to catch and kill him. Most of these hunters lost their lives to him.[5]
See also[]
- New Water mosasaur, a fantasy analog in "The Mrem Go West".
- Leviathan, a creature in Darkness, which appears to be based on mosasaurs and/or plesiosaurs.
References[]
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