Prehistoric Planet Store - Replica fossils including dinosaurs like T. rex, Triceratops, and more!

This is a Prehistoric Planet original discovery. Our paleontologist discovered, escavated, prepared and mounted this virtually complete Cladastes, Mososaur, skeleton in 2001. It was discovered in the Pierre Shale Formation, late Cretaceous (74-83 million years) near Chadron, Nebraska.

This specimen is missing only three to four vertebra from the distal portion of the tail and three phalanges from one paddle. It is otherwise a very rare complete specimen. The original specimen was donated to and is on exhibit at the Elachee Nature Center, Gainesville, GA.

Mosasaurs were giant, meat-eating marine reptiles (they are not a dinosaur) that lived during the late Cretaceous period. It was up to 33ft (10 m) long. Mosasaurs had four paddle-like limbs on a long, streamlined body and a long, powerful tail. The large head had huge jaws (up to 4.7 ft =1.45 m long) with many teeth. The jaws could open about 3 feet (1 m).

The lower jaw is loosely hinged to the skull with a moveable joint on each side (behind the teeth). This loose joint, similar in snakes, let it swallow huge prey. They hunted fish, turtles, mollusks, and shellfish. Other Mosasaur fossils have been found in the Phosphate mines of Khouribga, Morocco, Kansas and Nebraska.