Specimen Details
Species
Prognathodon sp.
Age
Late Cretaceous
(~70 Million Years)
Location
Oulad Abdoun Basin, Morocco
Formation
Phosphate Deposits
Jaw: 16.8 x 7.9", Largest tooth crown: 2.1"
Size
Description
This Prognathodon jaw tells the story of one of the ocean's most efficient hunters. Five robust teeth, designed for gripping rather than chewing, reveal how this 40-foot mosasaur seized prey whole. The visible foramen running along the jaw's exterior housed nerves and blood vessels that once powered this apex predator's bite.
Recovered from Morocco's Oulad Abdoun Basin, this specimen comes from phosphate deposits laid down 70 million years ago when North Africa lay beneath warm, shallow seas. Prognathodon ruled these waters during the final chapter of the Cretaceous, using double-hinged jaws to swallow ammonites, fish, and even smaller mosasaurs in a single gulp.
Condition & Restoration
Typical preparation for large marine reptile fossils. Crack repair and gap fill restoration applied through several teeth and the jaw section to ensure structural stability. Minor glue stabilization used on natural fractures. Five erupted teeth are preserved with visible foramen along the exterior jaw surface. Five additional unerupted teeth remain embedded within the jaw matrix. Overall restoration is moderate and consistent with standard paleontological conservation practices for mosasaur specimens of this size.
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