The first North American record of Carinodens belgicus (Squamata, Mosasauridae) and correlation with the youngest in situ examples from the Maastrichtian type area: palaeoecological implications∙

  • E.W.A. Mulder Museum Natura Docet Wonderryck Twente, Oldenzaalsestraat 39, 7591 GL Denekamp, the Netherlands; and Natuurhistorisch Museum Maastricht, De Bosquetplein 6-7, 6211 KJ Maastricht, the Netherlands
  • P. Formanoy Museum Natura Docet Wonderryck Twente, Oldenzaalsestraat 39, 7591 GL Denekamp, the Netherlands
  • W.B. Gallagher Department of Geological, Environmental and Marine Sciences, Rider University, 2083 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville, New Jersey 08648-3099, USA
  • J.W.M. Jagt Natuurhistorisch Museum Maastricht, De Bosquetplein 6-7, 6211 KJ Maastricht, the Netherlands
  • A.S. Schulp Natuurhistorisch Museum Maastricht, De Bosquetplein 6-7, 6211 KJ Maastricht, the Netherlands; and Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S001677460000007X
Keywords: Mosasaurs, Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian, Maryland, the Netherlands, palaeobiogeography

Abstract

Four recently collected tooth crowns of the rare latest Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian) durophagous mosasaur Carinodens belgicus are discussed; the first record from the Atlantic coast of North America (Maryland), and three additional in situ examples from the Maastrichtian type area in the southeast Netherlands and northeast Belgium. Also presented are an updated overview of the material recorded to date, and a discussion of the palaeobiogeographical and palaeoenvironmental distribution of the genus. Towards the end of the Cretaceous, Carinodens appears to have been successful in exploiting the margins of both the proto-Atlantic Ocean and the Tethyan Realm.

Published
2014-03-25
How to Cite
Mulder E., Formanoy P., Gallagher W., Jagt J., & Schulp A. (2014). The first North American record of Carinodens belgicus (Squamata, Mosasauridae) and correlation with the youngest in situ examples from the Maastrichtian type area: palaeoecological implications∙. Netherlands Journal of Geosciences, 145-152. https://doi.org/10.1017/S001677460000007X
Issue
Volume 92 - 2013
Section
Original Articles
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors contributing to Netherlands Journal of Geosciences retain copyright of their work, with first publication rights granted to the Netherlands
Journal of Geosciences Foundation. Read the journal's full Copyright- and Licensing Policy.