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Prognathodon currii

Reptilia - Mosasauridae

Taxonomy
Prognathodon currii was named by Christiansen and Bonde (2002). Its type specimen is HUJ.OR 100, a skull (Skull with eight anterior vertebrae), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Oron (level 4a), which is in a Campanian marine phosphorite in the Mishash Formation of Israel.

Synonymy list
YearName and author
2002Prognathodon currii Christiansen and Bonde p. 630 figs. 1, 3 - 6, 8
2014Prognathodon currii Fanti et al.
2019Prognathodon currii Driscoll et al.

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
RankNameAuthor
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
Sauropsida
classReptilia
Squamata()
familyMosasauridae
subfamilyMosasaurinaeGervais 1853
tribeGlobidensiniRussell 1967
genusPrognathodonDollo 1889
speciescurrii

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Prognathodon currii Christiansen and Bonde 2002
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
P. Christiansen and N. Bonde 2002Very large mosasaurid. Premaxillary rostrum short and obtuse, internarial bar slender. Frontal part of internarial bar short and bifurcate, frontal wider than long, frontoparietal suture posteriorly triangular and lateral sides straight. External naris invades posterior part of frontal. Prefrontal makes wide contact with external naris posterolaterally. Prefrontal with large, obtuse, supraorbital ala. Prefrontal makes wide supraorbital sutural contact with postorbitofrontal, excluding frontal from orbital rim. No posterior horizontal shelf on parietal. Jugal slender, with rami roughly at right angles to each other. Quadrate tympanic cavity forming a deep, distinctly oval conch, bordered by a large infrastapedial process, fused to a moderately developed suprastapedial process. Quadratic anterior ala thin. Teeth heavy with smooth enamel surfaces, tooth crowns nearly straight, conical with blunt apices, with bicarinate, occasionally serrated, carinae. 11 maxillary teeth, set on heavy, weakly striated pedicles. Dentary with nearly horizontal alveolar margin, 12 dentary teeth. Posterior horizontal inflection on mandibular retroarticular process.
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: terrestrialuc
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: aquaticf
Diet: carnivoref
Vision: well-developedf
Reproduction: ovoviviparousf
Created: 2018-01-05 16:32:54
Modified: 2018-01-05 16:32:54
Source: f = family, c = class, subp = subphylum, uc = unranked clade
References: Carroll 1988, Gervais 1852, Hendy et al. 2009

Age range: base of the Late/Upper Campanian to the top of the Late/Upper Maastrichtian or 83.50000 to 66.00000 Ma

Collections (6 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Late/Upper Campanian83.5 - 70.6Israel Prognathodon currii (type locality: 35443)
Early/Lower Maastrichtian70.6 - 66.0Morocco Prognathodon currii (116902 116903)
Late/Upper Maastrichtian70.6 - 66.0Morocco Prognathodon currii (99627 213665 213666)