Large size mososaur stand from Morocco

Mosasaurus, also called mouse lizard in Dutch, is a genus of extinct sea-dwelling saurians from the family Mosasauridae. The first fossil remains were found near Maastricht in the Sint-Pietersberg, which lies on the bank of the river Maas (Latin: Mosa), and Mosasaurus was named after the river. The species from the genus lived in the Maastrichtian, the last part of the Cretaceous, about 75 to 65 million years ago. Fossils indicate that Mosasaurus had a worldwide distribution, but many remains have been found especially in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas. The bodies of all species were enormous: the type species, M. hoffmannii, was estimated to be about 60 feet (18 meters) long. Mosasaurus was probably an active predator with good eyesight. The skull and jaws were sturdy in construction, and capable of devouring virtually any other animal, including ammonites, bony fish, sharks, squid, birds, and other marine reptiles. It is suspected that Mosasaurus played an important ecological role as a top predator. The history of Mosasaurus discovery dates back to the eighteenth century. The imposing skull that was discovered near Maastricht around 1780 was confiscated by French revolutionary troops due to its great scientific value. In 1808, the naturalist Georges Cuvier concluded that the fossil should be of a giant sea lizard related to the monitor lizards. The fossil probably played an important role in his early ideas about extinction. To date, the precise evolutionary relationships of Mosasaurus are subject to debate.