Ancient Seas, North America, Late Cretaceous, ca. 80 to 70 million years ago. The fossilized skull and jaws from a large prehistoric reptile, Mosasaurus, rising from an entrancing sculptural rendering of the sea. The enormous creature was buried in sediment, and eventually surrounded by limestone. As the mosasaur fossilized, some of the bones shifted and separated, so part of the mandible or palatal teeth are between the upper and lower jaws. Individual teeth are excavated and free from the matrix, and the jaws are dramatically pointing vertically upward from the limestone bed which is embellished with finely modeled plaster painted various shades of blue to create an aquatic presentation, as if the mosasaur is emerging from a tumultuous seascape! Note how the artist has rendered ebullient rolling waves and misty passages of sea foam. An outstanding work in which the prehistoric world meets the present-day world of fine art! Size: 20.5" L x 17.5" W (52.1 cm x 44.4 cm); 30.5" H (77.5 cm) on included custom stand.

The large teeth and hinged jaws enabled mosasaurs to gulp down their prey nearly whole, like modern day snakes. This carnivorous lizard possessed a streamlined body, flattened tail, and webbed feet and somewhat resembled flippered crocodiles. They were one of the dominant predators of their time, as this fantastic display of jaws and teeth can attest to!

The Mosasaurus genus is made up of dozens of species of these marine reptiles generally known as mosasaurs, and while still debated, they are widely considered to be more closely related to reptiles and not dinosaurs. The name means "Meuse lizard," as the first specimen was found near the Meuse (Maas) River in the city of Maastricht in the Netherlands. Fittingly, the geological time period Maastrichtian, is named after the formations of this Dutch city in which Mosasaurus was found, and the Maastrichtian stage marks the mass extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous period that killed off all mosasaurs and dinosaurs. Before the mass extinction, Mosasaurus were the dominant marine predators, preying on fish, sharks, and even other mosasaurs! Many different species of mosasaur swam throughout the oceans and inland seaways, and Mosasaurus gained global distribution during the late Cretaceous, and their remains have been found on 6 continents.

If you have seen the new "Jurassic World" films, Mosy is the name of the mosasaur and the main attraction of the aquatic feeding show - she also is the unlikely hero, breaching herself to eat the monster hybrid dinosaur at the end. This computer-generated character is about twice as large as the biggest mosasaur fossils discovered, but an exciting visualization of these fierce predators, and even includes the palatal teeth in action, chomping down on a shark. The dramatic pose this fossilized mosasaur skull has been displayed in could be imagined to be the creature emerging to breathe, or to grab some prey, before retreating into the depths of the sea.

This piece has been searched against the Art Loss Register database and has been cleared. The Art Loss Register maintains the world's largest database of stolen art, collectibles, and antiques.

Provenance: private Berthoud, Colorado, USA collection

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Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#168034

Professionally prepared and excavated. Minor areas of repair and restoration but is 95% or more original material. Tip of one tooth reattached, the other teeth are intact and original. Stable fissures, abrasions, and chips. The fossil retains the stone matrix as a base. Modern plaster is applied to the matrix and painted with blue pigments. All is set on a square wooden base as a display piece. Stable fissures and abrasions and shifting of bones due to fossilization.