Description
- Fossil Articulated Vertebrae of Tethysaurus nopscai
- Age: Late Cretaceous, Early Turonian (~93–99 million years old)
- Location: Goulmima / Asfla area, Morocco
- Size: 640mm long
- Exact item pictured.
This specimen is an articulated vertebrae from Tethysaurus nopscai, a marine reptile belonging to the mosasauroid group. Tethysaurus was a medium-sized, carnivorous marine squamate that lived in the Tethys Ocean during the Early Turonian stage of the Late Cretaceous. It is thought to be the missing link between Mosasaurs and modern day Varanids (Monitor Lizards)
The vertebrae are part of the fossil skeleton preserved in sedimentary rock. During life, the spinal column provided support and flexibility for swimming. After death, the bones were rapidly buried in marine sediments. Over millions of years, sediments hardened into rock and preserved the original bone material, sometimes in close articulation (connected position) rather than scattered.
Tethysaurus nopscai was first described from multiple specimens recovered in the Goulmima region of southeastern Morocco. These specimens include nearly complete skulls, mandibles, vertebrae, and portions of the appendicular skeleton. The genus name refers to the ancient Tethys Sea, with the species name honouring palaeontologist Baron Ferenc Nopcsa.
Vertebrae fossils from Tethysaurus can show features typical of mosasauroids, such as well-defined centra and processes (projecting bony parts) that articulate with adjacent vertebrae. These elements provide information about the animal’s size, posture, and swimming adaptations.
Specimens like articulated vertebrae are scientifically important because they preserve skeletal anatomy in association, allowing researchers to study the spinal structure and locomotion of this marine reptile and to compare it with related groups in order to try and understand how it moved.
