恐龍卡第 1783 張，共 2 027 張

Thalassotitan

名字的意思： “titan of the seas”1

吃：肉滄龍類白堊紀晚期嚴格來說不是恐龍

Thalassotitan was a giant sea lizard that lived in the ocean near Morocco. It was one of the biggest and scariest hunters of its time, with a huge head and strong jaws. It ate other sea creatures like turtles and even other mosasaurs!1 2

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

72 到 66 百萬年前4

白堊紀晚期

化石發現地

Morocco, in the Oulad Abdoun Basin1 4

長度

9 到 10 m (30 到 33 ft)1

最高速度

時速約 33 公里（21 英里）

游泳, 估計值

牠生活在什麼時候？

三疊紀

侏羅紀

白堊紀

2 億 5200 萬年前20114566，小行星撞地球

牠有多大？

牠有多長？

跟 2 台汽車排成一排一樣長跟 56 根香蕉頭尾相接一樣長能在 5.5 秒內游完一座大泳池（50 公尺）

Thalassotitan 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)

Thalassotitan 時速約 33 公里 (21 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

Thalassotitan had teeth like a killer whale, thick and cone-shaped, perfect for grabbing big prey.1 2

It was an apex predator, meaning it was at the top of the food chain, like orcas and white sharks today.1 2

Some fossils found near Thalassotitan show acid damage, which scientists think came from being eaten and partly digested by this mosasaur.1 2

Thalassotitan lived about 67 to 66 million years ago, right before the dinosaurs went extinct.1

Its skull was broad and its jaws were massive, built for biting hard and crushing prey.2

Thalassotitan is part of a group called Prognathodontini, known for their strong jaws and thick teeth.1

Thalassotitan 的 AI 繪圖 — 這是電腦根據科學家目前的知識，用 AI 畫出 Thalassotitan 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 Thalassotitan 最常被問的問題

?How big was Thalassotitan?

Thalassotitan was about 9 to 10 metres long, with a skull up to 1.3 metres long. That is about the size of a killer whale.1 3

?What did Thalassotitan eat?

Thalassotitan ate other marine reptiles, including smaller mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, sea turtles, and large fish. Its teeth show heavy wear from biting into bones.1 2

?Was Thalassotitan a dinosaur?

No, Thalassotitan was a mosasaur, which is a type of extinct marine lizard. It lived in the ocean and was not a dinosaur.1

?When did Thalassotitan live?

Thalassotitan lived about 67 to 66 million years ago, during the very end of the Cretaceous period. That is right before the non avian dinosaurs went extinct.1

?Where was Thalassotitan found?

Thalassotitan fossils were discovered in the Ouled Abdoun Basin in Morocco. Some teeth that might belong to it have also been found in other places like the United States.1

?Could Thalassotitan swim?

Yes, Thalassotitan was a marine reptile that lived in the ocean and was a strong swimmer. It used its powerful tail and flippers to move through the water and hunt.1

迷思破解王

迷思： Some people think Thalassotitan was a dinosaur.

真相： Thalassotitan was a mosasaur, a marine lizard, not a dinosaur. Mosasaurs are reptiles that lived in the sea.1

給恐龍專家

學名: Thalassotitan
命名者: Longrich et al. 20224
類群: 滄龍類
科 / 演化支: Mosasauridae4
分類: Mosasauroidea4
岩石的年代: 72 到 66 百萬年 (Maastrichtian)4
岩層: Couche III4
國家: 摩洛哥4
化石紀錄: The Paleobiology Database 收錄 3 筆4
發現: Thalassotitan was named in 2022 by Nicholas Longrich and his team, based on fossils from Morocco. The fossils were first thought to belong to other mosasaurs like Mosasaurus or Prognathodon.1 4
仍有爭議: Scientists are not sure if some teeth found in other countries, like Jordan or Brazil, belong to Thalassotitan or to a related species.1