A large, well-preserved tooth of Zarafasaura oceanis, a large marine plesiosaur dating from the Late Cretaceous period and sourced from the phosphate-rich region of the Oulad Abdoun Basin, Khouribga, Morocco. Zarafasaura oceanis was named in 2011, making it a relatively recent discovery. This specimen has a crack, but no restoration has been performed, ensuring its natural authenticity. The tooth, measuring 5.3 cm (2.1 in) tall, is an exceptional specimen for marine fossil collectors, both for its size and state of preservation.
Its authenticity is fully guaranteed, making this piece a valuable rarity for any fossil collection.
- Dimensions: 5.3 cm (2.1 in) x 1.4 cm (0.55 in) x 1.3 cm (0.51 in)
- Weight: 9g
Zarafasaura oceanis is an extinct genus of plesiosaurs that evolved during the late Cretaceous period, approximately 70 million years ago. This marine reptile, discovered primarily in the phosphate rock formations of Morocco, was a formidable predator of the prehistoric oceans. As a member of the Elasmosauridae group, it is distinguished by its long neck, large flippers, and a body adapted for aquatic life.
Zarafasaura oceanis was a plesiosaur characterized by its long neck, which could reach several meters, and its four large paddle-like flippers that allowed it to move easily through the water. It measured approximately 7 to 10 meters in length, with a large portion of this length made up of its neck, an ideal adaptation for catching prey from a distance.
Zarafasaura's skull was relatively small compared to its body, but it possessed powerful jaws lined with sharp, conical teeth, allowing it to feed on fish, cephalopods, and possibly even small marine reptiles. Its morphology is reminiscent of other elasmosaurs, a well-known group of long-necked plesiosaurs that thrived in the shallow seas of the Cretaceous Period.
Zarafasaura oceanis fossils have been discovered primarily in the phosphate beds of the Oulad Abdoun Basin in Morocco, a region that, at the time, was covered by a shallow sea. This type of environment was rich in marine life, with numerous species of fish, ammonites, and marine reptiles coexisting in the same waters.
This region is particularly known for its rich fossil deposits dating back to the Late Cretaceous period, making it a valuable resource for paleontologists seeking to understand marine biodiversity before the mass extinction that marked the end of this geological period.
The discovery of Zarafasaura oceanis provides crucial information on the diversity of elasmosaurids at the end of the Cretaceous period in North Africa. This species helps fill gaps in our understanding of plesiosaur evolution and geographic distribution before the great mass extinction that ended the Age of Dinosaurs.
As a dominant marine predator, Zarafasaura played an important role in the food chain of Cretaceous marine ecosystems. Its fossils provide information on the interactions between marine species and the adaptation of plesiosaurs to environmental changes, such as sea level fluctuations.
Zarafasaura oceanis is a fascinating example of the diversity of marine reptiles that inhabited the oceans at the end of the Cretaceous period. Discovered in the phosphate formations of Morocco, this long-necked plesiosaur reveals valuable information about the prehistoric marine fauna of North Africa.
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