Mosasaurs were a group of extinct aquatic reptiles related to modern snakes. They resembled modern Komodo dragons and lived alongside dinosaurs during the Cretaceous, approximately 145–65 million years ago.
Mosasaurs were major marine predators that consumed fish, birds, ammonites, other aquatic reptiles (including smaller mosasaurs) and even dinosaurs that ventured into the water. Numerous ammonite shells bear mosasaur bite marks. Like snakes, mosasaurs had flexible jaw ligaments that allowed them to open their mouths widely and swallow prey whole. The few known remains of juvenile mosasaurs indicate that they gave birth to live young in the ocean.
Members of this group of reptiles ranged from 1 to 17 metres in length, depending on the species.
The teeth are found mainly in Morocco, can measure between 1 and 8 cm long and have a thick base that gives them stability and strength. There are species of mosasaurs with thick, almost oval teeth, specialized in breaking the shells of crabs and ammonites.
