Fossil Mosasaur Tooth in Partial Jaw

Description

This is a fossil tooth of the giant marine reptile Mosasaurus beaugei, from the Upper Cretaceous phosphate deposits in the Oulad Abdoun Basin of Morocco. The well defined, flat facets on this tooth indicated it’s from Mosasaurus beaugei and not one of the much more common Mosasaurs.

These teeth are collected as a byproduct of the massive phosphate mining operations near Khouribga. The locals collected the teeth and other fossils saving them from certain destruction by rock crusher. There are as many as 10 different species of Mosasaurs in these deposits, and determining the species of individual teeth is often difficult. A tooth morphology guide is linked below.