A bizarre new plioplatecarpine mosasaurid from the Maastrichtian of Morocco (2024)

Longrich, N. R., Polcyn, M. J., Jalil, N. E., Pereda-Suberbiola, X., & Bardet, N. (2024). A bizarre new plioplatecarpine mosasaurid from the Maastrichtian of Morocco. Cretaceous Research, 160, Article 105870. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2024.105870

A bizarre new plioplatecarpine mosasaurid from the Maastrichtian of Morocco. / Longrich, Nicholas R.; Polcyn, Michael J.; Jalil, Nour Eddine et al.
In: Cretaceous Research, Vol. 160, 105870, 31.08.2024.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Longrich, NR, Polcyn, MJ, Jalil, NE, Pereda-Suberbiola, X & Bardet, N 2024, 'A bizarre new plioplatecarpine mosasaurid from the Maastrichtian of Morocco', Cretaceous Research, vol. 160, 105870. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2024.105870

Longrich NR, Polcyn MJ, Jalil NE, Pereda-Suberbiola X, Bardet N. A bizarre new plioplatecarpine mosasaurid from the Maastrichtian of Morocco. Cretaceous Research. 2024 Aug 31;160:105870. Epub 2024 Mar 1. doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2024.105870

Longrich, Nicholas R. ; Polcyn, Michael J. ; Jalil, Nour Eddine et al. / A bizarre new plioplatecarpine mosasaurid from the Maastrichtian of Morocco. In: Cretaceous Research. 2024 ; Vol. 160.

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title = "A bizarre new plioplatecarpine mosasaurid from the Maastrichtian of Morocco",

abstract = "The Upper Maastrichtian of Morocco has produced a remarkably diverse fauna of mosasaurids, the most diverse known for any time or place. As apex predators, Mosasauridae provide a picture of the marine ecosystem just before the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. Here we describe a bizarre new plioplatecarpine mosasaurid, Khinjaria acuta, characterized by enlarged, dagger-like anterior teeth, short, robust jaws, and posterior elongation of the skull. Khinjaria is related to Goronyosaurus nigeriensis from Nigeria and Niger, and Gavialimimus almaghribensis from Morocco. These species form a distinct clade of specialized mosasaurids so far unknown outside of Africa. Mosasaurids show high endemism in the Maastrichtian, with different lineages occurring in different regions, implying that mosasaurid diversity is underestimated because of limited geographic sampling. The large size, robust jaws, akinetic skull, and bladelike teeth of Khinjaria suggest it was an apex predator, but the unusual skull and jaw differ from those of contemporary predators like Hainosaurus, Thalassotitan, and Mosasaurus, suggesting a distinct feeding strategy. Mosasaurids became increasingly specialized in the latest Cretaceous, repeatedly evolving to occupy the apex predator niche, suggesting a diverse marine ecosystem persisted up to the K/Pg boundary. Late Cretaceous marine ecosystems differ from modern marine ecosystems in the high diversity of large predators.",

keywords = "Maastrichtian, Morocco, Mosasauridae, Phosphates, Plioplatecarpinae, Squamata",

author = "Longrich, {Nicholas R.} and Polcyn, {Michael J.} and Jalil, {Nour Eddine} and Xabier Pereda-Suberbiola and Nathalie Bardet",

year = "2024",

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doi = "10.1016/j.cretres.2024.105870",

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T1 - A bizarre new plioplatecarpine mosasaurid from the Maastrichtian of Morocco

AU - Longrich, Nicholas R.

AU - Polcyn, Michael J.

AU - Jalil, Nour Eddine

AU - Pereda-Suberbiola, Xabier

AU - Bardet, Nathalie

PY - 2024/3/1

Y1 - 2024/3/1

N2 - The Upper Maastrichtian of Morocco has produced a remarkably diverse fauna of mosasaurids, the most diverse known for any time or place. As apex predators, Mosasauridae provide a picture of the marine ecosystem just before the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. Here we describe a bizarre new plioplatecarpine mosasaurid, Khinjaria acuta, characterized by enlarged, dagger-like anterior teeth, short, robust jaws, and posterior elongation of the skull. Khinjaria is related to Goronyosaurus nigeriensis from Nigeria and Niger, and Gavialimimus almaghribensis from Morocco. These species form a distinct clade of specialized mosasaurids so far unknown outside of Africa. Mosasaurids show high endemism in the Maastrichtian, with different lineages occurring in different regions, implying that mosasaurid diversity is underestimated because of limited geographic sampling. The large size, robust jaws, akinetic skull, and bladelike teeth of Khinjaria suggest it was an apex predator, but the unusual skull and jaw differ from those of contemporary predators like Hainosaurus, Thalassotitan, and Mosasaurus, suggesting a distinct feeding strategy. Mosasaurids became increasingly specialized in the latest Cretaceous, repeatedly evolving to occupy the apex predator niche, suggesting a diverse marine ecosystem persisted up to the K/Pg boundary. Late Cretaceous marine ecosystems differ from modern marine ecosystems in the high diversity of large predators.

AB - The Upper Maastrichtian of Morocco has produced a remarkably diverse fauna of mosasaurids, the most diverse known for any time or place. As apex predators, Mosasauridae provide a picture of the marine ecosystem just before the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. Here we describe a bizarre new plioplatecarpine mosasaurid, Khinjaria acuta, characterized by enlarged, dagger-like anterior teeth, short, robust jaws, and posterior elongation of the skull. Khinjaria is related to Goronyosaurus nigeriensis from Nigeria and Niger, and Gavialimimus almaghribensis from Morocco. These species form a distinct clade of specialized mosasaurids so far unknown outside of Africa. Mosasaurids show high endemism in the Maastrichtian, with different lineages occurring in different regions, implying that mosasaurid diversity is underestimated because of limited geographic sampling. The large size, robust jaws, akinetic skull, and bladelike teeth of Khinjaria suggest it was an apex predator, but the unusual skull and jaw differ from those of contemporary predators like Hainosaurus, Thalassotitan, and Mosasaurus, suggesting a distinct feeding strategy. Mosasaurids became increasingly specialized in the latest Cretaceous, repeatedly evolving to occupy the apex predator niche, suggesting a diverse marine ecosystem persisted up to the K/Pg boundary. Late Cretaceous marine ecosystems differ from modern marine ecosystems in the high diversity of large predators.

KW - Maastrichtian

KW - Morocco

KW - Mosasauridae

KW - Phosphates

KW - Plioplatecarpinae

KW - Squamata

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