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Study throws greater insight into Mosasaurs’ birth mystery

April 12, 2015 By Stephanie James Leave a Comment

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A group of researchers have uncovered some of the interesting facts about the reproduction process of Mosasaurs, the giant marine lizards which existed 65 million years ago.

The study found that these iconic predators used to give birth in the open ocean water and not on the previously thought rear coasts.

The researchers mainly focused on the initial environment of Mosasaurs before they had finally reached extinction. The giant marine creatures existed exactly during the same period as dinosaurs did.

For the study, the scientists gathered the specimens of the youngest mosasaur from the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History. The fossils were discovered 100 years ago in the open ocean deposits. At that time, the researchers have believed that they belonged to the ancient birds.

Daniel Field, study lead author, said, “Mosasaurs are among the most effective-studied groups of Mesozoic vertebrate animals, but evidence with regards to how they have been born and what baby mosasaur ecology was like has historically been elusive.”

Field and Aaron LeBlanc, from the University of Toronto in Mississauga, found that attributes of teeth and jaw of different variety were exhibited by the specimens.

LeBlanc said the only bird-like function found in the specimens of these marine reptiles was their modest size. The beaches were filled with eggs laid by them, and newly-born mosasaurs didn’t appear to have lived in sheltered near-shore nurseries.

The study was detailed in the journal Palaeontology.

Mosasaur a giant lizard gave birth in open ocean

April 12, 2015 By Carrie Davis 1 Comment

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.

Scientists reveal new birth mystery of Mosasaurs

April 11, 2015 By Stephanie James 2 Comments

A new study has revealed some of the interesting facts about the process of reproduction in Mosasaurs, the large marine lizards that have existed 65 million years ago.

According to the researchers, Mosasaurs gave birth in the open ocean water and not on rear coasts.

The main aim of the study was the focus on the initial environment of these iconic predators before they finally reached extinction. The giant marine lizards existed at the same time period as dinosaurs did.

For the study, the researchers collected the specimens of the youngest mosasaur ever found in the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History. The baby fossils were uncovered 100 years ago in the deposits of open oceans. The researchers, who had discovered these fossils at that time, have believed that they came from ancient birds.

Lead study author Daniel Field said, “Mosasaurs are among the most effective-studied groups of Mesozoic vertebrate animals, but evidence with regards to how they have been born and what baby mosasaur ecology was like has historically been elusive.”

Field and Aaron LeBlanc, a Ph.D student at the University of Toronto in Mississauga, discovered that different variety of teeth and jaw attributes were exhibited by the specimens.

According to LeBlanc, the only bird-like function in Mosasaurs specimens was their modest size. Eggs were laid by them on the beaches and newborn mosasaurs didn’t seem to have lived in sheltered near-shore nurseries, he said.

The findings of the study were reported in the journal Palaeontology.

Mosasaurs, giant sea lizard gives birth to babies in open ocean

April 11, 2015 By Doyle Buehler Leave a Comment

Mosasaurs is an ancient gigantic lizard which lived in oceans millions of years ago, but the birthing process of this lizard was unknown until the new specimen of young mosasaurs was found.

The study is performed by researchers from Yale University and University of Toronto.

Researchers have discovered specimens of mosasaurs which they mistook it as the specimen of some ancient birds.

They found that the mosasaurs gave birth to the young ones not on or near the shore but in the open ocean.

Masasaurs are from the period of Dinosaurs, they became extinct about 65 million years ago.

This baby lizard can grow up to 50 feet.

The study helped the researchers in understanding the environment of the mosasaurs.

These lizards populated most of the oceans on the Earth.

Daniel Field,lead author of the study said, “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.”

The specimens are not newly discovered but they are discovered more than hundred years ago.

Field found the specimen in the Yale Peabody Museum.

Aaron LeBlanc, co-author of the study said, “Really, the only bird-like feature of the specimens is their small size, contrary to classic theories, these findings suggest that mosasaurs did not lay eggs on beaches and that newborn mosasaurs likely did not live in sheltered nearshore nurseries.”

These fossils were found in the middle of the open ocean.

The findings of the study are published in the journal Paleontology on April 10.

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