Morocco is confirmed as an essential site for global paleontology with the recent discovery of a new species of mosasaur in the phosphate deposits of Sidi Chennane, province of Khouribga. Identified as Carinodens, this Late Cretaceous sea creature measured between 2 and 3 meters and is distinguished by unique teeth, adapted to crushing hard-shelled prey such as molluscs and crustaceans.
According to a study published in the journal Diversity by an international team led by Nicholas Longrich, a paleontologist at the University of Bath, Carinodens illustrates the complex evolution of mosasaurs at the end of the Cretaceous, around 67 million years ago. Unlike primitive mosasaurs with conical teeth adapted to gripping soft prey, this new species had thick, triangular-crowned teeth ideal for crushing hard-shelled invertebrates.
These dental adaptations, underline the researchers, testify to a hyperdiversity of mosasaurs in the Moroccan waters of the Upper Maastrichtian. The Carinodens joins a list of 16 species of mosasaurs identified in Moroccan deposits, revealing an exceptional richness in marine reptiles shortly before their mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous.
The diversity of Moroccan mosasaurs is reflected in the variety of dental morphologies observed. Some species had massive teeth for tearing prey, others had blunt structures for crushing bones, or even saw-like shapes adapted to slicing flesh. This specialization, according to researchers, has allowed these reptiles to colonize different ecological niches, making Moroccan waters a truly thriving ecosystem.
This discovery is part of a series of major finds from the phosphate deposits of Morocco, considered a unique window on Mesozoic marine life. In 2021, the same team had already discovered Xenodens calminechari, another species of mosasaur with saw-shaped teeth. This work confirms Morocco’s role as a natural laboratory for the study of ancient ecosystems.
Despite their evolutionary success, mosasaurs, like many marine groups, were victims of the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period, 66 million years ago. However, discoveries like that of Carinodens allow us to better understand their diversity and the reasons for their decline.
Morocco
