Thalassotitan is an extinct genus of large mosasaurs that lived during the late Maastrichtian of the Cretaceous period in what is now Morocco, around 67 to 66 million years ago. The only known species is T. atrox, described in 2022 from fossils discovered in the Ouled Abdoun Basin, initially identified as coming from other genera such as Mosasaurus or Prognathodon. Hypothetical Thalassotitan specimens may have been found in other corners of the world, although researchers also note the possibility that they come from distinct, related taxa. It is considered to be close to the genera Prognathodon and Gnathomortis, together forming the tribe Prognathodontini. The prognathodontines are separated from other mosasaurs based on their massive jaws and robust teeth.
N. R. Longrich, N.-E. Jalil, and F. Khaldoune, O. K. Yazami, X. Pereda-Suberbiola, N. Bardet. 2022. Thalassotitan atrox, a giant predatory mosasaurid (Squamata) from the
upper Maastrichtian phosphates of Morocco. Cretaceous Research 140:105315:1-32
DOI ↗
Bibliography (1)
N. R. Longrich, N.-E. Jalil, and F. Khaldoune, O. K. Yazami, X. Pereda-Suberbiola, N. Bardet. 2022. Thalassotitan atrox, a giant predatory mosasaurid (Squamata) from the
upper Maastrichtian phosphates of Morocco. Cretaceous Research 140:105315:1-32
DOI ↗