Eonatator coellensis: a new, Seemingly Ovoviviparous Campanian Cretaceous Mosasaur From Colombia

Eonatator coellensis nov. sp. (Squamata: Mosasauridae), a new species from the Upper Cretaceous of Colombia.

Author:

Páramo-Fonseca

Abstract:

In this study a new mosasaur found in Colombia is given out. The fossil was extracted from Campanian rocks, North of the town of Coello, Tolima Department. It is a nearly complete articulated skeleton with soft tissue remains preserved in its cavities. It was
determined as a new species of the genus Eonatator, E. coellensis, based on the systematics proposed in 2005 by Bardet and others. The anatomy of the anterior part of the skull, as well the morphology and the inter-relationships of the bones of the pelvic girdle and limbs, constitute a new contribution to the genus definition. The Colombian specimen represents the most complete halisaurine mosasaur known so far in the world, and provides new evidence of ovoviviparity in mosasaurs.