Name:
Tylosaurus (Greek for "knob lizard"); pronounced TIE-low-SORE-usHabitat:
Shallow seas of Central AmericaHistorical Period:
Middle-late Cretaceous (85-80 million years ago)Size and Weight:
About 35 feet long and 7 tonsDiet:
Fish, turtles and other reptilesDistinguishing Characteristics:
Long, sleek body; narrow, well-muscled jawsAbout Tylosaurus:
Tylosaurus was about as well-adapted to terrorizing sea creatures as any aquatic reptile could be: it had a narrow, hydrodynamic body, a blunt, powerful head suited to ramming prey, agile flippers and a maneuverable fin on the end of its long tail. A type of mosasaur--an aquatic reptile related to modern snakes and monitor lizards--it may have hastened the extinction of less specialized pliosaurs and plesiosaurs.
