mosasauroid

Mosasauroid is an extinct superfamily of marine reptiles that lived during the Late Cretaceous Epoch. These formidable predators belonged to the order Squamata, making them closely related to modern snakes and lizards. Mosasauroids were characterized by their elongated bodies, paddle-like limbs, and powerful, often toothed jaws. Their size varied greatly, with some species reaching lengths of over 15 meters, making them some of the largest marine predators of their time.

These reptiles were distributed globally, inhabiting oceans worldwide. Their diet likely consisted of fish, ammonites, and other marine animals. Mosasauroids possessed adaptations for a fully aquatic lifestyle, including a fluke-like tail for propulsion and a streamlined body. Their appearance is often compared to that of a sea snake or a monitor lizard adapted for marine life. Fossil evidence suggests they gave birth to live young, a trait also shared with some modern reptiles. The extinction of mosasauroids occurred at the end of the Cretaceous period, coinciding with the mass extinction event that wiped out the non-avian dinosaurs.