Geologists Found Remains of a Giant 'Sea Monster' in the U.S. — Likely the Largest Mosasaur Ever Identified in That Area

Geologists Found Remains of a Giant ‘Sea Monster’ in the U.S. — Likely the Largest Mosasaur Ever Identified in That Area

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 01/05/2025 at 11:55

Updated on 01/05/2025 at 11:57

O fóssil é uma vértebra de Mosasaurus hoffmanni , um dos maiores mosassauros que já existiram. (Crédito da imagem: James Starnes)

Be the first to react!

Giant Vertebra Found Near Starkville by Mississippi Geologists; Specimen Belongs to Mosasaurus hoffmannii and May Have Reached 9 Meters in Length.

Geologists from the United States have found a fossil in east-central Mississippi that may be the largest mosasaur ever identified in the state.

The discovery was made during a study of rock layers in the area near Starkville.

The find surprised scientists due to the size of the bone: a vertebra over 18 centimeters in diameter.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

An Unexpected Discovery

During a routine excavation, James Starnes, a geologist from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, spotted something unusual among the sediments.

Together with colleagues Jonathan Leard and Tim Palmer, he identified the fossilized vertebra and immediately knew it was something special.

“I was completely blown away by the size,” said Starnes. “The feeling you get when you find a fossil, even as a professional, never gets old.”

Identification of the Fossil

The bone was handed over to the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science.

There, paleontologists confirmed it belonged to a Mosasaurus hoffmannii, one of the largest known species of mosasaur.

Based on the size of the vertebra, experts estimate that the animal was at least nine meters long.

“This was a true sea monster,” stated Starnes. “It is larger than most dinosaurs that roamed the land.”

Life in the Ancient Sea of Mississippi

The sea giant lived about 66 million years ago, during the end of the Cretaceous period. At that time, the area where Mississippi is located today was covered by a shallow, warm sea.

The site was home to various extinct marine animals, such as sharks, ammonites, and other aquatic reptiles.

According to Starnes, flying creatures like pterosaurs were soaring in the area, while terrestrial dinosaurs walked through the nearby forests and beaches.

Ocean Predators

Mosasurs, including M. hoffmannii, were the dominant predators of the Mesozoic seas. They had elongated bodies, powerful tails, and limbs adapted like paddles.

With sharp teeth, they could feed on fish, mollusks, and even other mosasurs.

“While dinosaurs ruled the land, these oceans were likely the most dangerous of any era in the history of our planet,” reported the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.

Fossil Legacy

Despite disappearing after an asteroid collided with Earth about 66 million years ago, mosasurs continue to spark scientific interest.

In 2022, another mosasaur fossil was discovered in the northeast of the state, even containing the animal’s skull.

The recent discovery reinforces Mississippi’s potential as a fossil-rich region and contributes to the understanding of marine life in the Cretaceous.

0 Comments

most recent

older Most voted

Geologists Found Remains of a Giant ‘Sea Monster’ in the U.S. — Likely the Largest Mosasaur Ever Identified in That Area

Giant Vertebra Found Near Starkville by Mississippi Geologists; Specimen Belongs to Mosasaurus hoffmannii and May Have Reached 9 Meters in Length.

An Unexpected Discovery

Identification of the Fossil

Life in the Ancient Sea of Mississippi

Ocean Predators

Fossil Legacy

Mother and daughter build a 70 m² house with more than 8,000 discarded glass bottles and impress with their creativity; known as the Casa de Sal, the property is located on Itamaracá Island, in Pernambuco.

Workers were opening a new road connection near the Marginal Tietê when they found, in the underground of the construction site, remnants of locomotives, wagons, and boilers from the 19th century linked to the forgotten history of Lapa.

Instead of burning or burying old tires, an American city is transforming about 2,000 of them into the street itself, paving its first sections with a quieter and more durable rubber asphalt.

China transforms desert-devastated area into the world’s largest artificial forest, planting trees for 60 years, blocking sand that reached Beijing, and creating a “green lung” of 92,000 hectares in a region once considered lost.

Greek island offers free housing for volunteers, but there’s a condition: you need to take care of rescued cats.

Engineers want to carve through Africa with a giant canal to bring water from the world’s second-largest river to a dying lake on the edge of the Sahara Desert that has already lost 90% of its water.

China has deployed snake-shaped robots to slide along power lines, where they have already inspected over 130 kilometers of cables using cameras and sensors to detect damaged wires, worn-out parts, and overheating.

Ferrari sees more than $4 billion evaporate after unveiling its first 100% electric car priced at $640,000, with investors questioning if the Luce still looks like a Ferrari.

Government announces R$ 370 million for those who preserve the forest and an unprecedented initiative places traditional Amazonian communities at the center of conserving a vast area.

Accessible only by boat, an old house from 1862 is up for sale for R$ 19.4 million in the USA with a famous artist’s studio, pier, and over 10 preserved hectares.

Concrete reinforced with carrot and beetroot nanoplatelets defies the logic of traditional additives, outperforms graphene in initial tests, saves 40 kg of cement per cubic meter, and can build buildings and bridges stronger than current products.

Solar and wind energy surpass natural gas for the first time in the world and accelerate energy revolution

Geologists Found Remains of a Giant ‘Sea Monster’ in the U.S. — Likely the Largest Mosasaur Ever Identified in That Area

Giant Vertebra Found Near Starkville by Mississippi Geologists; Specimen Belongs to Mosasaurus hoffmannii and May Have Reached 9 Meters in Length.

An Unexpected Discovery

Identification of the Fossil

Life in the Ancient Sea of Mississippi

Ocean Predators

Fossil Legacy

Mother and daughter build a 70 m² house with more than 8,000 discarded glass bottles and impress with their creativity; known as the Casa de Sal, the property is located on Itamaracá Island, in Pernambuco.

Workers were opening a new road connection near the Marginal Tietê when they found, in the underground of the construction site, remnants of locomotives, wagons, and boilers from the 19th century linked to the forgotten history of Lapa.

Instead of burning or burying old tires, an American city is transforming about 2,000 of them into the street itself, paving its first sections with a quieter and more durable rubber asphalt.

China transforms desert-devastated area into the world’s largest artificial forest, planting trees for 60 years, blocking sand that reached Beijing, and creating a “green lung” of 92,000 hectares in a region once considered lost.

Greek island offers free housing for volunteers, but there’s a condition: you need to take care of rescued cats.

Engineers want to carve through Africa with a giant canal to bring water from the world’s second-largest river to a dying lake on the edge of the Sahara Desert that has already lost 90% of its water.

China has deployed snake-shaped robots to slide along power lines, where they have already inspected over 130 kilometers of cables using cameras and sensors to detect damaged wires, worn-out parts, and overheating.

Research reveals evidence that autism may represent several different conditions instead of a single disorder, transforming medical strategies, accelerating advances in neuroscience, and increasing the precision of interventions for millions of people.

Neanderthal genes still live in you and may influence the viral load of common infections, reveals genetic study on human immunity.

Technology using saliva: A new method based on biomarkers present in saliva can raise safety standards in traffic and at work, helping to recognize signs of fatigue and drowsiness with the potential to prevent accidents before they happen.

First vaccine created by artificial intelligence is tested on humans and opens a new era in medicine

Only 28% of the ocean floor has been accurately mapped, less than what is already known about the surface of Mars and the Moon, and scientists consider the topic strategic for Brazil, with a global goal to map everything by 2030.

Ferrari sees more than $4 billion evaporate after unveiling its first 100% electric car priced at $640,000, with investors questioning if the Luce still looks like a Ferrari.

Government announces R$ 370 million for those who preserve the forest and an unprecedented initiative places traditional Amazonian communities at the center of conserving a vast area.

Accessible only by boat, an old house from 1862 is up for sale for R$ 19.4 million in the USA with a famous artist’s studio, pier, and over 10 preserved hectares.

Concrete reinforced with carrot and beetroot nanoplatelets defies the logic of traditional additives, outperforms graphene in initial tests, saves 40 kg of cement per cubic meter, and can build buildings and bridges stronger than current products.

Solar and wind energy surpass natural gas for the first time in the world and accelerate energy revolution