Palaeocast

Author: Palaeocast

A free webseries exploring the fossil record and the evolution of life on Earth.
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Language: en

Genres: Earth Sciences, Natural Sciences, Science

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Episode 171: Freshwater Mosasaurs
Episode 171
Thursday, 11 December, 2025

We've been given exclusive access to a brand new study examining the chemistry of a mosasaur tooth found within the Late Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation, North Dakota. The remarkable circumstances of how this tooth was discovered meant that multiple lines of chemical evidence could be reliably gathered, each acting as a powerful palaeoenvironmental proxy providing clues as to how and where this giant aquatic predator lived. The results of the study now mean that a revision of mosasaur palaeoecology is required and that food webs in one of the world's most famous fossil deposits might need redrawing. Joining us in this episode are the lead authors Nathan Van Vranken (Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College) and Melanie During (Uppsala University & Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam). Their study "King of the Riverside", a multi-proxy approach offers a new perspective on mosasaurs before their extinction is open access and available in BMC Zoology now!