恐龍卡第 1215 張，共 2 027 張

Mosasaurus

名字的意思： “Meuse lizard, after the Meuse River in the Netherlands”1

吃：肉滄龍類白堊紀晚期到新生代，哺乳動物時代嚴格來說不是恐龍

Mosasaurus was a giant marine reptile that ruled the oceans at the end of the Age of Dinosaurs. It was not a dinosaur but a close relative of modern lizards and snakes. With its powerful jaws and long tail, it was a top predator in the sea.1

趣味小知識：這種海生爬蟲類在海裡游泳的時候，恐龍正在陸地上走路。大家都叫牠們恐龍，但牠們其實是爬蟲類的另一個分支。

生存年代

100 到 62 百萬年前5

白堊紀晚期到新生代，哺乳動物時代

化石發現地

Fossils have been found in many places around the world, including the Netherlands, the United States (Alabama, Colorado, New Jersey, South Dakota, Texas, and others), Canada, Morocco, Japan, New Zealand, and Antarctica.5 1

長度

10 到 17 m (33 到 56 ft)1

體重

10 公噸 (22,000 lb)1

最高速度

時速約 26 公里（16 英里）

游泳, 估計值

牠生活在什麼時候？

恐龍出現之前

恐龍時代

哺乳動物時代

4 億年前25266現在

牠有多大？

牠有多長？

牠有多重？

跟 7 台汽車一樣重

跟 4 台汽車排成一排一樣長跟 94 根香蕉頭尾相接一樣長跟 1.5 頭大象一樣重跟 2000 顆西瓜一樣重跟 12 整班小學生一樣重跟 22 隻北極熊一樣重能在 6.9 秒內游完一座大泳池（50 公尺）

Mosasaurus 跟「你」比起來有多大？

只是在你的瀏覽器裡算算數學。什麼都不會被儲存或傳送出去。

牠有多快？

走路的人 時速約 5 公里 (3 mph)

騎腳踏車的小朋友 時速約 12 公里 (7 mph)

Mosasaurus 時速約 26 公里 (16 mph)

一匹飛奔的馬 時速約 65 公里 (40 mph)

一隻獵豹 時速約 100 公里 (62 mph)

酷東西

趣味知識

Mosasaurus was first discovered in 1766 in a limestone quarry near Maastricht, Netherlands, long before the word 'dinosaur' was even invented.1

The first Mosasaurus skull was seized by the French army in 1795 and is still on display in Paris today.1

Mosasaurus had a special joint in its lower jaw that allowed it to open its mouth extra wide, so it could swallow very large prey.1

Unlike most lizards, Mosasaurus gave birth to live young in the open ocean and did not need to come ashore to lay eggs.1

Some Mosasaurus species were warm-blooded, which helped them live in both cold polar waters and warm tropical seas.1

Mosasaurus teeth were curved and sharp, and they sat in sockets like ours, which helped it bite hard without hurting itself.1

Mosasaurus lived during the Late Cretaceous Period, from about 94 million to 66 million years ago, when a huge sea called the Western Interior Seaway covered parts of North America.1

Mosasaurus 的 AI 繪圖 — 這是電腦根據科學家目前的知識，用 AI 畫出 Mosasaurus 可能的樣子。這只是猜測：真正的動物可能長得不一樣，也沒有人知道牠真正的顏色。

你們都在問

關於 Mosasaurus 最常被問的問題

?Was Mosasaurus a dinosaur?

No, Mosasaurus was not a dinosaur. It was a giant marine reptile and a close relative of modern lizards and snakes.1 2

?How big was Mosasaurus?

The largest species, Mosasaurus hoffmanni, may have reached 17 to 18 metres (56 to 59 ft), though many scientists think 11 to 12 metres (36 to 39 ft) is more likely. Other species were about 8 to 10 metres (26 to 33 ft) long.1 2

?What did Mosasaurus eat?

Mosasaurus was a carnivore that ate fish, sharks, squid, birds, sea turtles, and even other mosasaurs. It could swallow very large prey thanks to a special hinge in its jaw.1 3 2

?When did Mosasaurus live?

Mosasaurus lived during the Late Cretaceous Period, from about 82 to 66 million years ago, when it went extinct along with the dinosaurs.2

?Could Mosasaurus swim fast?

Probably up to about 26 km/h (16 mph) in a short burst, about as fast as a grown-up riding a bike. This is an estimate. Mosasaurus swam by swishing its tail, but it probably could not swim very fast for long.3 4

?Did Mosasaurus have any predators?

Adult Mosasaurus had no natural predators, but young ones were hunted by sharks and giant fish. Mosasaurs also fought and sometimes ate each other.3 2

?Where have Mosasaurus fossils been found?

Mosasaurus fossils have been found in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Western Asia, and Antarctica, showing it lived in oceans all over the world.2

?Was Mosasaurus bigger than T. rex?

Yes, Mosasaurus was longer than T. rex. The largest Mosasaurus species could reach 17 to 18 metres (56 to 59 ft) long, while T. rex was about 12 metres (40 ft) long.1 2

?Did Mosasaurus lay eggs?

No, Mosasaurus gave birth to live young in the open ocean. Scientists found a fossil of a pregnant mosasaur with five babies inside.1 3

?How did Mosasaurus become extinct?

Mosasaurus went extinct about 66 million years ago, at the same time as the dinosaurs, likely because of the asteroid impact that caused a mass extinction.2

迷思破解王

迷思： Mosasaurus is a dinosaur.

真相： Mosasaurus is not a dinosaur. It is a marine reptile and a member of the squamate group, which includes modern lizards and snakes.1

給恐龍專家

學名: Mosasaurus
命名者: Parkinson 18225
類群: 滄龍類
科 / 演化支: Mosasauridae5
分類: Mosasauroidea5
岩石的年代: 100 到 62 百萬年 (Cenomanian / Danian)5
岩層: Navesink, Severn, Pierre Shale5
國家: 美國, 敘利亞, 英國, 摩洛哥, 紐西蘭, 波蘭5
化石紀錄: The Paleobiology Database 收錄 130 筆5
發現: The first Mosasaurus fossils were found in 1766 near Maastricht, Netherlands. The animal was named Mosasaurus in 1822 by James Parkinson, after the Meuse River. The famous French naturalist Georges Cuvier later confirmed it was a giant lizard.5 1
仍有爭議: Scientists are still debating the exact sizes of different Mosasaurus species, because only a few complete skeletons have been found.1