Location: Oued Zem, Morocco Weight: 7.2 Ounces Dimensions: 3.4 Inches Long, 2.8 Inches Wide, 1.5 Inches Thick (Matrix) Dimensions: 2 Inches Long, 0.7 Inches Wide The item pictured is the one you will receive. This is a genuine fossil. 85 - 66 Million Years old, Early Campanian, Maastrichtian Epoch. Name: Halisaurus Type: Carnivore / Piscivore Size: 3 to 4 meters in length. Halisaurus is an extinct genus of marine reptiles belonging to the mosasaur family that lived during the Maastrichtian of the Cretaceous Age. It was a medium-sized mosasaur weighing 200–350 kg and was a relatively poor swimmer. They are mid-range predators that hunted more for fish and squid in open water. Mosasaur teeth are good at piercing the prey's skin but poor at slicing flesh, so it swallows it. Its jaw has flexible joints that allow it to open extremely wide, and it possesses extra teeth called pterygoid teeth, that it uses to hold on to its prey while its jaw moves forward to swallow the hapless victim whole. Please be aware of the nature of fossils: Being buried under the ground for millions of years under tons of pressure tends to be rough. No fossil comes out of the ground whole and perfect. Most fossils have undergone some restoration, while others are altered by man simply to enhance their presentation in different ways. The workers in Morocco do a very professional job, of unearthing and preserving these natural treasures, however, commonly natural cracks are visible on the surface. These are part of the natural beauty of the fossil and are not considered defects.
