Gavialimimus
Gavialimimus was a marine lizard that swam in the warm seas of Morocco 66 million years ago. It had a very long, narrow snout like a modern gharial, which helped it catch fish. This clever hunter lived alongside other huge sea reptiles and sometimes became their dinner.1
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Fun facts
Gavialimimus was about 6 metres (20 feet) long, as long as a small bus.1
Its name means 'gharial mimic' because its snout looked like that of the modern gharial crocodile, which also eats fish.1
Scientists think Gavialimimus lived in the same seas as many other mosasaurs, but it ate different prey to avoid competition.1
Bigger mosasaurs like Thalassotitan sometimes ate Gavialimimus. One fossil shows bite marks from a large predator.1
The first fossil of Gavialimimus was a skull and some bones found in the phosphate mines of Morocco.1
In 2025, scientists argued that a tooth named Platecarpus ptychodon actually belongs to Gavialimimus, so its full name might change to Gavialimimus ptychodon.1
Most asked questions about Gavialimimus
?Was Gavialimimus a dinosaur?
No, Gavialimimus was a marine lizard called a mosasaur, not a dinosaur. It lived in the sea during the time of dinosaurs.1
?How big was Gavialimimus?
About 6 metres long, as long as a small bus.1
?What did Gavialimimus eat?
It was a large fish-eater, using its long snout and interlocking teeth to catch fast-swimming fish.12
?Did other animals eat Gavialimimus?
Yes, bigger mosasaurs like Thalassotitan and Prognathodon sometimes ate Gavialimimus. One fossil shows it was digested by a large mosasaur.1
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Myth buster
Myth: Some people think Gavialimimus was a dinosaur because it is a reptile from the age of dinosaurs.
Truth: Gavialimimus was a mosasaur, a marine lizard, not a dinosaur. It lived in the sea and was more closely related to modern monitor lizards.1
For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Gavialimimus
- Named by
- Strong et al. 20203
- Group
- Mosasaurs
- Family / clade
- Mosasauridae3
- Classification
- Mosasauroidea3
- Age of the rocks
- 72 to 66 million years (Maastrichtian)3
- Rock formations
- Phosphates3
- Countries
- Morocco3
- Fossil records
- 1 in the Paleobiology Database3
- Discovery
- Gavialimimus was named in 2020 by Strong and colleagues based on a skull from the Oulad Abdoun Basin in Morocco. The specific name almaghribensis means 'from Morocco' in Arabic.13
- Still debated
- Scientists debate whether Gavialimimus almaghribensis is the same species as an older fossil called Platecarpus ptychodon. If they are the same, the older name would take priority.1
Where the facts come from
- Gavialimimus (en.wikipedia.org)
- Paleontologists identify new species of mosasaur (ualberta.ca)
- Gavialimimus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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Mosasaurus
Prognathodon
Tylosaurus
Platecarpus
Clidastes
Globidens
Tyrannosaurus
Triceratops
Velociraptor
Spinosaurus
Ankylosaurus
Parasaurolophus