A distant relative of today's monitor lizards and anacondas
Scientists have discovered the remains of a “nightmare” A new species of sea lizard with dagger-shaped teeth that lived in the oceans 66 million years ago. Khinjaria acuta could live next to dinosaurs, coexisting with such giants as Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops
According to the researchers, Hinjaria was about eight meters long (about the same length as a killer whale) and had powerful jaws and long, dagger-like teeth capable of chewing prey, giving it a «nightmare appearance.»
The team said the creature's elongated skull and jaw musculature suggested it had a «terrible bite force.»
Hinjaria belongs to a family of giant sea lizards known as mosasaurs, ancient relatives of today's Komodo dragons and anaconda.
According to scientists, these creatures were the apex predators of their time, occupying leading positions in the oceans along with other mosasaurs such as the «saw-toothed» xenodens and the «star-toothed» stelladenas.
Dr Nick Longrich, from the Department of Life Sciences and the Milner Center for Evolution at the University of Bath, said: “What's remarkable here is the huge diversity of top predators. We have several species that are larger than the great white shark and are apex predators, but they all have different teeth, suggesting that they hunt differently. Some mosasaurs had teeth to pierce prey, others to cut, tear, or crush. Now we have Khinjaria with a short face and huge dagger-shaped teeth. It is one of the most diverse marine faunas observed anywhere at any time in history, and existed shortly before the extinction of marine reptiles and dinosaurs.»
The researchers suggest that the region's warm currents and nutrient-rich waters could provide food for large numbers of sea creatures and therefore support numerous apex predators.
The study, published in the journal Cretaceous Research, is based on analysis of the skull and other skeletal remains discovered in a phosphate mine southeast of Casablanca, Morocco's largest city.
Mosasaurs went extinct around the same time as dinosaurs, about 66 million years ago — towards the end of the Late Cretaceous period.
Although the exact cause of their extinction is not fully understood, it is believed that it was related to the consequences of a powerful impact asteroid on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.
When apex predators like mosasaurs disappeared, researchers say, it paved the way for whales and seals to dominate the oceans, and fish like swordfish and tuna emerged
There are now only a few large predators left in modern marine food chains, including killer whales, white sharks and leopard seals.
Dr Longrich added: “It appears that in the last 66 million years There have been huge changes in the structure of the ecosystem. This incredible diversity of Late Cretaceous apex predators is unusual, and we do not see it in modern marine communities. We don't know if there is something in marine reptiles that caused the ecosystem, or prey, or perhaps the environment to change. But it was an incredibly dangerous time for fish, sea turtles, or even marine reptiles.»