Cretoxyrhina mantelli
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| Cretoxyrhina mantelli Fossil range: Early Cretaceous |
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| Cretoxyrhina mantelli |
Cretoxyrhina mantelli, the "Jaws of the Cretaceous", was a shark that lived in the Cretaceous period in the in the Western Interior Sea, about 100 million years ago. C. mantelli grew up to 24 feet (7 meters) long, and is known from several nearly complete skeletal fossils. Its name means "Mantell's chalk-sharp-nose".
The teeth of C. mantelli were 5 cm long, curved, and smooth-edged, with a thick enamel coating. C. mantelli would have fed on juvenile mosasaurs and even giant bony fish like xiphactinus, a fierce predator in its own right. It would also have been a top predator of the Cretaceous seas. C. mantelli teeth have been found in the skeletal remains of Tylosaurs proving that these predators had run ins, fights, and meals throughout their lives.
C. mantelli became extinct 90 million years ago. A majority of the remains have been found in Kansas.
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