Researchers Name 43-Foot Texas Sea Predator Tylosaurus rex From 80-Million-Year-Old Fossils
Updated
Updated · texasstandard.org · Jun 5
Researchers Name 43-Foot Texas Sea Predator Tylosaurus rex From 80-Million-Year-Old Fossils
3 articles · Updated · texasstandard.org · Jun 5
Summary
Texas fossils long assigned to a smaller mosasaur have been reclassified as Tylosaurus rex, a newly identified apex marine reptile described in a paper led by Amelia Zietlow.
Serrated, steak-knife-like teeth first spotted on an unusual museum specimen in 2020 prompted the review, and comparisons across 22 museums confirmed the fossils did not belong to Tylosaurus proriger.
Tylosaurus rex is now considered the largest known Tylosaurus, typically 30 to 35 feet long, with the biggest specimen reaching 43 feet.
About 80 million years ago, it dominated the shallow inland sea covering much of Texas, preying broadly on fish and other marine reptiles including plesiosaurs.
The find also highlights the role of Dallas-area hobbyist paleontologists and donated museum collections, while researchers continue reexamining other Texas mosasaurs for hidden diversity.