RAY OF HOPE – Researchers from the University of Bath in the UK have found this out fossil a new species of mosasaur that ruled the oceans during the period Cretaceous.
The ferocious sea lizard is an apex predator that thrives in Moroccan waters at the same time that T. rex is on land.
Scientists have named the creature Thalassotitan atrox (T. atrox) from the Greek words “Thalassa” and “titan”.
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The combination of these two words means “giant of the sea”. The species name atrox translates to “cruel” or “ruthless”.
“Thalassotitan is an extraordinary and frightening animal,” said lead author of the study, Dr. Nick Longrich.
“Imagine a Komodo dragon crossed with a great white shark crossed with a T. rex crossed with a killer whale.”
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Mosasaurus was made up of a diverse group of giant lizards that inhabited most of the Atlantic Ocean from 135 million to 66 million years ago.
The scaly-skinned reptile grows up to 40 feet in length and uses paddle-shaped fins and tail fins to glide through the water.
