Tylosaurus proriger is an extinct species of mosasaur, a group of large marine reptiles that lived during the Late Cretaceous period (approximately 85-65 million years ago). This aquatic predator is one of the largest and best-known mosasaurs. Below, I give you a detailed description of this prehistoric animal, as well as the main characteristics of its skeleton:
General characteristics of Tylosaurus proriger:
Size: It could reach between 12 and 15 meters in length, although some larger specimens have been reported.
Habitat: It lived in the shallow seas that covered much of what is now North America, especially in the Western Interior Sea, which divided this continent during the Cretaceous.
Diet: It was a voracious carnivore and fed on fish, other marine reptiles, seabirds and possibly even small sharks. Its jaw and teeth were designed to capture and tear apart large prey.
Body: Its long, serpentine body was perfectly adapted for aquatic life, with an elongated skull, a long, flattened tail, and legs transformed into flippers to facilitate swimming.
Hunting: It was probably an agile and active predator, capable of stalking and attacking with great speed in its marine environment.
Skeletal characteristics of Tylosaurus proriger:
Skull:
Shape: The skull was large, long, and robust, with a powerful jaw. At the front of the skull, the elongated "snout" (or rostrum) gave it a pointed appearance, allowing it to cut through the water while swimming.
Teeth: The teeth were sharp, conical, and curved backwards, ideal for capturing and tearing apart prey. Its teeth showed specialization for retaining live animals, as the inward-facing teeth prevented prey from escaping.
Articulated jaws: Similar to modern snakes, its jaw could open widely, allowing it to swallow large prey in one piece. It also had flexible joints between the upper and lower jaws, which increased its ability to open its mouth.
Body:
Vertebral column: It had a long series of vertebrae that formed an elongated and flexible body. The vertebrae were adapted for movement in water, allowing Tylosaurus to swim in lateral undulating movements, similar to those of an eel or snake.
Pectoral girdle: The front legs were modified into flippers, with short and robust bones, which helped direct the body while swimming, but were not useful for walking on land.
Pelvic girdle: The hind legs were also modified into flippers, although smaller in size compared to the front legs, suggesting that the main locomotion came from undulating movements of the body and tail.
Tail:
Laterally flattened: Its tail was long, robust and laterally flattened, which gave it great power for swimming. More recent studies suggest that Tylosaurus, like other mosasaurs, had a crescent-shaped caudal fin, similar to that of sharks, which gave it greater propulsion capacity in the water.
Adaptation for speed: The shape and strength of the tail were essential for its ability to hunt quickly and ambush, allowing for rapid acceleration.
Fins:
Both the front and rear fins showed an extreme adaptation to the aquatic environment, with reduced and compacted long bones, providing more surface area for swimming.
These fins probably offered maneuverability in the water, but were not useful for supporting the weight of the body on dry land.
Behavior and Ecology:
Tylosaurus proriger was one of the apex predators of its marine ecosystem. Its fossils have been found alongside remains of large fish, other marine reptiles such as plesiosaurs and seabirds, indicating its dominant position in the food chain. Fossil remains have also been found suggesting that it may have competed with other large mosasaurs, such as Mosasaurus.
Museum-quality replicas due to their high degree of scientific rigor.
Approximate measurements of Tylosaurus:
General characteristics of Tylosaurus proriger:
Size: It could reach between 12 and 15 meters in length, although some larger specimens have been reported.
Habitat: It lived in the shallow seas that covered much of what is now North America, especially in the Western Interior Sea, which divided this continent during the Cretaceous.
Diet: It was a voracious carnivore and fed on fish, other marine reptiles, seabirds and possibly even small sharks. Its jaw and teeth were designed to capture and tear apart large prey.
Body: Its long, serpentine body was perfectly adapted for aquatic life, with an elongated skull, a long, flattened tail, and legs transformed into flippers to facilitate swimming.
Hunting: It was probably an agile and active predator, capable of stalking and attacking with great speed in its marine environment.
Skeletal characteristics of Tylosaurus proriger:
Skull:
Shape: The skull was large, long, and robust, with a powerful jaw. At the front of the skull, the elongated "snout" (or rostrum) gave it a pointed appearance, allowing it to cut through the water while swimming.
Teeth: The teeth were sharp, conical, and curved backwards, ideal for capturing and tearing apart prey. Its teeth showed specialization for retaining live animals, as the inward-facing teeth prevented prey from escaping.
Articulated jaws: Similar to modern snakes, its jaw could open widely, allowing it to swallow large prey in one piece. It also had flexible joints between the upper and lower jaws, which increased its ability to open its mouth.
Body:
Vertebral column: It had a long series of vertebrae that formed an elongated and flexible body. The vertebrae were adapted for movement in water, allowing Tylosaurus to swim in lateral undulating movements, similar to those of an eel or snake.
Pectoral girdle: The front legs were modified into flippers, with short and robust bones, which helped direct the body while swimming, but were not useful for walking on land.
Pelvic girdle: The hind legs were also modified into flippers, although smaller in size compared to the front legs, suggesting that the main locomotion came from undulating movements of the body and tail.
Tail:
Laterally flattened: Its tail was long, robust and laterally flattened, which gave it great power for swimming. More recent studies suggest that Tylosaurus, like other mosasaurs, had a crescent-shaped caudal fin, similar to that of sharks, which gave it greater propulsion capacity in the water.
Adaptation for speed: The shape and strength of the tail were essential for its ability to hunt quickly and ambush, allowing for rapid acceleration.
Fins:
Both the front and rear fins showed an extreme adaptation to the aquatic environment, with reduced and compacted long bones, providing more surface area for swimming.
These fins probably offered maneuverability in the water, but were not useful for supporting the weight of the body on dry land.
Behavior and Ecology:
Tylosaurus proriger was one of the apex predators of its marine ecosystem. Its fossils have been found alongside remains of large fish, other marine reptiles such as plesiosaurs and seabirds, indicating its dominant position in the food chain. Fossil remains have also been found suggesting that it may have competed with other large mosasaurs, such as Mosasaurus.
Museum-quality replicas due to their high degree of scientific rigor.
Approximate measurements of Tylosaurus:
- 1:16 scale Assembly kit
- Length 810 mm
- Height 626 mm
- Width 227 mm
- Snout-tail length 950 mm
- Includes supports
