13" Polycotylid Plesiosaur Jaw and Vertebrae Fossil In Situ Cretaceous Age Morocco

Location: Goulmima, Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Weight: 15 pounds 13 Ounces 

Dimensions: 13 Inches Long, 11.5 Inches Wide, 2.8 Inches Thick (Matrix)

Plesiosaur Vertebrae Five Dimensions: 8.5 Inches Long, 3.1 Inches Wide, 2 Inches Thick.

Jaw Dimensions: 11.1 Inches Long, 1.3 Inches Wide, 1 Inch Thick.

Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

The item pictured is the one you will receive. 

This is a Genuine Fossil

Cretaceous Age, 100 Million Years Old.

Polycotylid Plesiosaurs were intriguing marine reptiles that inhabited the oceans during the Cretaceous period, approximately 100 to 65 million years ago. Notable for their elongated necks and tails along with unique double-hinged jaws, these reptiles provide valuable insight into prehistoric marine life. Morocco is notable for yielding several polycotylid plesiosaur fossils, including the holotype of Plesiosaurus moroccensis, a species first described in a 2013 study by Oussedik and colleagues published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

One of the most interesting aspects of polycotylid plesiosaurs is their unique dental anatomy. Unlike other plesiosaurs, which have a single row of teeth on each jaw, polycotylids have two rows of teeth, with the upper row being more developed than the lower row. This unique dental anatomy suggests that polycotylids may have had a different feeding strategy than other plesiosaurs.

In addition to Plesiosaurus moroccensis, other polycotylid plesiosaurs found in Morocco include the species P. cedrimani and P. fraasii. These species were described in a 2017 paper by Sweet et al. in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.