Thomas S. Tobin; Peter D. Ward; Eric J. Steig; Eduardo B. Olivero; Isaac A. Hilburn; Ross N. Mitchell; Matthew R. Diamond; Timothy D. Raub; Joseph L. Kirschvink (2012). "Extinction patterns, δ18 O trends, and magnetostratigraphy from a southern high-latitude Cretaceous–Paleogene section: Links with Deccan volcanism". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 350–352: 180–188. Bibcode: 2012PPP...350..180T. doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2012.06.029. The type species, M. hoffmannii, is one of the largest marine reptiles known, [50] [46] though knowledge of its skeleton remains incomplete as it is mainly known from skulls. [7] Russell (1967) wrote that the length of the jaw equalled one tenth of the body length in the species. [38] Based on this ratio, Grigoriev (2014) used the largest lower jaw attributed to M. hoffmannii (CCMGE 10/2469, also known as the Penza specimen; measuring 171 centimeters (67in) in length) to estimate a maximum length of 17.1 meters (56ft). [46] Using a smaller partial jaw ( NHMM 009002) measuring 90 centimeters (35in) and "reliably estimated at" 160 centimeters (63in) when complete, Lingham-Soliar (1995) estimated a larger maximum length of 17.6 meters (58ft) via the same ratio. [d] [50] No explicit justification for the 1:10 ratio was provided in Russell (1967), [38] and it has been considered to be probably overestimated by Cleary et al. (2018). [51] In 2014, Federico Fanti and colleagues alternatively argued that the total length of M. hoffmannii was more likely closer to seven times the length of the skull, which was based on a near-complete skeleton of the related species Prognathodon overtoni. The study estimated that an M. hoffmannii individual with a skull measuring more than 145cm (57in) would have been up to or more than 11 meters (36ft) in length and weighed 10 metric tons (11 short tons) in body mass. [52] Mentioning the Penza specimen, Gregory S. Paul estimated in his 2022 book, The Princeton Field Guide to Mesozoic Sea Reptiles, a shorter maximum length for M. hoffmannii of 13 meters (43ft) and a body mass of 5.5 metric tons (6.1 short tons). [53] The Penza specimen, one of the largest known fossils of Mosasaurus [46] a b Michael J. Everhart (2017). Oceans of Kansas. Indiana University Press. pp.24–263. ISBN 978-0-253-02632-3. Eric Mulder; Bert Theunissen (1986). "Hermann Schlegel's investigation of the Maastricht mosasaurs". Archives of Natural History. 13 (1): 1–6. doi: 10.3366/anh.1986.13.1.1. a b c d e f g h i j Anne S. Schulp; Hubert B. Vonhof; Jeroen van der Lubbe; Renée Janssen; Remy R. van Baal (2013). "On diving and diet: resource partitioning in type-Maastrichtian mosasaurs". Netherlands Journal of Geosciences. 92 (2–3): 165–170. doi: 10.1017/S001677460000010X. S2CID 131884448.

a b Edward Drinker Cope (1881). "A new species of Clidastes from New Jersey". American Naturalist. 15: 587–588. Emily Osterloff. "The world's first dinosaur park: what the Victorians got right and wrong". Archived from the original on April 18, 2021.a b c John A. Robbins (2010). Investigating Holocene climate change on the northern Channel Islands and Cretaceous mosasaur ecology using stable isotopes (PhD). Southern Methodist University. ISBN 978-1-124-43286-1. Archived from the original on June 21, 2021. One specimen traditionally attributed to M. lemonnieri has serration-like features in its cutting edges. Scientists believe this specimen likely belongs to a different species. [40] a b c d e Dimitry V. Grigoriev (2014). "Giant Mosasaurus hoffmanni (Squamata, Mosasauridae) from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of Penza, Russia" (PDF). Proceedings of the Zoological Institute RAS. 318 (2): 148–167. doi: 10.31610/trudyzin/2014.318.2.148. S2CID 53574339.

Anne S. Schulp; Michael J. Polcyn; Octavio Mateus; Louis L. Jacobs; Maria Lusia Morais; Tatiana da Silva Tavares (2006). "New mosasaur material from the Maastrichtian of Angola, with notes on the phylogeny, distribution, and paleoecology of the genus Prognathodon" (PDF). Publicaties van het Natuurhistorisch Genootschap in Limburg. 45 (1): 57–67. ISSN 0374-955X.

Lingham-Soliar may have misapplied the ratio. His calculations interpreted "body length" as the length of the postcranial body, not the total length of the animal as demonstrated in Russell (1967), This erroneously inflated the estimate by 10%. [38] [50] Known fossils of Mosasaurus have typically been recovered from deposits representing nearshore habitats during the Cretaceous period, with some fossils coming from deeper-water deposits. [88] [126] Lingham-Soliar (1995) elaborated on this, finding that Maastrichtian deposits in the Netherlands with M. hoffmannii occurrences represented nearshore waters around 40–50 meters (130–160ft) deep. Changing temperatures and an abundance in marine life were characteristic of these localities. The morphological build of M. hoffmannii, nevertheless, was best adapted for a pelagic surface lifestyle. [50] The Mediterranean Tethys during the Maastrichtian stage was located in what is now Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. In recent studies, the confirmation of paleogeographical affinities extended this range to areas across the Atlantic including Brazil and the East Coast state of New Jersey. It is geographically subdivided into two biogeographic provinces that respectively include the northern and southern Tethyan margins. The two mosasaurs Mosasaurus and Prognathodon appear to have been the dominant taxa, being widespread and ecologically diversified throughout the seaway. [102]

This study was conducted on only one tooth and may not represent the exact durations of dentinogenesis in all Mosasaurus teeth. [66] Heinrich Georg Bronn (1838). Lethaea Geognostica Oder Abbildungen und Beschreibungen Der für die Gebirgs-Formationen bezeichnendsten Versteinerungen (in German). Vol.2. Stuttgart. p.760. doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.59080. In 1804, the Lewis and Clark Expedition discovered a now-lost fossil skeleton alongside the Missouri River, which was identified as a 45-foot (14m) long fish. [22] Richard Ellis speculated in 2003 that this may have been the earliest discovery of the second species M. missouriensis, [23] although competing speculations exist. [24] In 1818, a fossil from Monmouth County, New Jersey became the first North American specimen to be correctly recognized as a Mosasaurus by scientists of the time. [c] [25] Thomas R. Holtz (2006). "GEOL 104 Lecture 38: The Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction III: Not With a Bang, But a Whimper". University of Maryland Department of Geology. Archived from the original on March 13, 2012. It seems that the various species of mosasaur reveal differences in diet. We noted these differences mainly between the smaller species -- by mosasaur standards -- of about three to seven metres in overall size, and the larger ones, eight to fifteen metres in length." But there were also some differences between the larger species. " Prognathodon in particular, with its large cone-shaped teeth, appears to have had a surprising amount of shellfish in its diet, so it apparently loved its seafood buffet. Another species, Plioplatecarpus, with narrow pointed teeth, showed a striking number of signs of wear. Perhaps this species was also fond of fish with strongly scaled bodies."

Conflict of interest

a b Bruce M. Rothschild; Larry D. Martin (2005). "Mosasaur ascending: the phytogeny of bends". Netherlands Journal of Geosciences. 84 (Special Issue 3): 341–344. doi: 10.1017/S0016774600021120. Hallie P. Street (2017). "Reassessing Mosasaurini based on a systematic revision of Mosasaurus". Vertebrate Anatomy Morphology Palaeontology. 4: 42. ISSN 2292-1389. Paleobiology [ edit ] Head musculature and mechanics [ edit ] The skull of M. hoffmannii was adapted to withstand powerful bites. a b c d William B. Gallagher; Carl E. Campbell; John W. M. Jagt; Eric W. A. Mulder (2005). "Mosasaur (Reptilia, Squamata) material from the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary interval in Missouri". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 25 (22): 473–475. doi: 10.1671/0272-4634(2005)025[0473:mrsmft]2.0.co;2. S2CID 130130952.