Mosasaurs are gigantic water animal which once lived millions of years ago in the Cretaceous period.
There was a mystery about the birthing process of this giant lizard. Scientists were confused whether these lizards give birth to young ones on or near the sea shore or in the open ocean.
But finally scientists have solved this mystery and discovered that these lizards give birth to offspring’s in deep waters and not on land.
This marine creature once populated the Earth’s water bodies some 60 million years ago.
The marine creatures have the ability to grow up to 50 feet long.
Scientist from the Yale University and Toronto University who undertook the research describes this creature as iconic predators.
During this period dinosaurs dominated the land and this marine creature dominated the oceans.
The main focus of the study was to understand the marine environment in which these predators inhabited before their extinction.
The findings about the birthing of the animal were found when the researchers were investigating the specimen which was unearthed 100 years ago.
“Mosasaurs are among the best-studied groups of Mesozoic vertebrate animals, but evidence regarding how they were born and what baby mosasaur ecology was like has historically been elusive,” said lead author, Daniel Field.
The specimen the researchers were investigation was believed to be a bird that dwell in deep oceans but while analyzing the specimen they found the specimen had teeth and jaw features which are similar to mosasaurs.
“Really, the only birdlike feature of the specimens is their small size,” said Dr. Aaron LeBlanc of Toronto University.
The researchers concluded that the only reason that made them believe, the specimen to be a bird is because of its small size, and they also acknowledge the fact that the animal which lived in Deep Ocean would give birth to young ones in the open ocean and not at the shore.