A Turonian Cretaceous Baby Tethysaurus (mosasaur) Found in Morocco

A baby mosasauroid (Reptilia, Squamata) from the Turonian of Morocco – Tethysaurus ‘junior’ discovered?

Authors:

Alexandra Houssaye and Nathalie Bardet

Abstract:

New Middle Turonian mosasauroid remains were discovered in the same large-sized nodule that yielded a specimen referred to Tethysaurus nopcsai Bardet et al., 2003, from the Goulmima region (southern Morocco). They comprise isolated, fragmentary cranial elements (skull and mandible) and some vertebrae. Their very small size suggests a juvenile condition, an observation supported also by anatomical (spongious nature of numerous bone parts), micro-anatomical (loose inner spongiosa) and histological (numerous remains of calcified cartilage deep into the centrum; radial vascular canals) data. These bones belonged to a basal mosasauroid that cannot be distinguished from Tethysaurus nopcsai to which taxon we tentatively assign the material.