Five Articulated Mosasaur (Platecarpus) Caudal Vertebrae - Kansas

These are five articulated caudal (tail) vertebrae from Platecarpus, a type of Mosasaur. They were collected from the Smoky Hill Chalk in Gove County, Kansas. While they are articulated, based off of the preservation differences between the vertebra, it's likely this is a composite string of vertebrae.

An artists reconstruction of Platecarpus.  By Dmitry Bogdanov Creative Commons License
An artists reconstruction of Platecarpus. By Dmitry Bogdanov Creative Commons License


An artist's reconstruction of Platecarpus. By Dmitry Bogdanov Creative Commons License
An artist's reconstruction of Platecarpus. By Dmitry Bogdanov Creative Commons License


Platecarpus is an extinct aquatic lizard belonging to the mosasaur family. Fossils have been found in the United States as well as possible specimens in Belgium and Africa. It reached lengths of up to 14 feet long: half of that length was its tail alone. Platecarpus probably fed on fish, squid, and ammonites. Like other mosasaurs, it was initially thought to have swum in an eel-like fashion, though a recent study suggests that it swam more like modern sharks.

The Smoky Hill Chalk Member of the Niobrara Chalk formation is a Cretaceous conservation Lagerstätte, or fossil-rich geological formation, known primarily for its exceptionally well-preserved marine reptiles. It outcrops in parts of northwest Kansas--its most famous localities for fossils--and in southeastern Nebraska. Large, well-known fossils excavated from the Smoky Hill Chalk include marine reptiles such as plesiosaurs, large bony fish such as Xiphactinus, mosasaurs, pterosaurs, and turtles.
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DETAILS
SPECIES
Platecarpus sp.
LOCATION
Gove County, Kansas
FORMATION
Niobrara Formation
SIZE
4.1" long
ITEM
#136435
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