Tylosaurus is a large marine reptile that first existed in the Western Interior Seaway that ran through the United States and Canada during the Late Cretaceous period. Tylosaurus is one of the largest mosasaurs ever to have existed, and was the apex predator of its marine environment - studies have shown that it fed on sharks, plesiosaurs and even other mosasaurs.
Discovery
The genus was first described by Edward Drinker Cope in 1869, based on his analysis of a partial skull found in the Niobrara Formation in Kansas. Initially, knowledge of Tylosaurus was limited due to the lack of a complete skeleton, but further remains uncovered during the 20th Century have developed a much wider understanding of the genus, with numerous species of Tylosaurus now formally recognized.
Paleoecology
Tylosaurus remains have been unearthed across the western United States, and research suggests it lived around 80m years ago. Its powerful tail and paddle-shaped limbs allowed it to swim quickly through the water, while its huge size and sharp teeth ensured that anything that crossed Tylosaurus' path was potential prey.
