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New 43-Foot Mosasaur ‘Tylosaurus rex’ Unearthed in Texas

5/28/2026

Summary

Story summary

Scientists from the American Museum of Natural History, the Perot Museum and Southern Methodist University, led by Amelia Zietlow, announced the new mosasaur species Tylosaurus rex from northern Texas after comparing the fossils with Tylosaurus proriger specimens.
The 43-foot predator had serrated teeth and a fractured jaw in the specimen “The Black Knight,” suggesting violent encounters.
The team’s revised tylosaur evolutionary dataset indicates that many earlier studies may need reassessment.

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Story summary

Scientists from the American Museum of Natural History, the Perot Museum and Southern Methodist University, led by Amelia Zietlow, announced the new mosasaur species Tylosaurus rex from northern Texas after comparing the fossils with Tylosaurus proriger specimens.
The 43-foot predator had serrated teeth and a fractured jaw in the specimen “The Black Knight,” suggesting violent encounters.
The team’s revised tylosaur evolutionary dataset indicates that many earlier studies may need reassessment.