Study: Terrifying Sea Lizard Roamed Moroccan, African Coasts 66 Million Years Ago

A cast of the mosasaur Gnathomortis stadtmani's bones mounted at Brigham Young University's Eyring Science Center are seen in Provo, Utah, US in an undated photograph. (BYU/Handout via REUTERS)
A cast of the mosasaur Gnathomortis stadtmani's bones mounted at Brigham Young University's Eyring Science Center are seen in Provo, Utah, US in an undated photograph. (BYU/Handout via REUTERS)
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Study: Terrifying Sea Lizard Roamed Moroccan, African Coasts 66 Million Years Ago

A cast of the mosasaur Gnathomortis stadtmani's bones mounted at Brigham Young University's Eyring Science Center are seen in Provo, Utah, US in an undated photograph. (BYU/Handout via REUTERS)
A cast of the mosasaur Gnathomortis stadtmani's bones mounted at Brigham Young University's Eyring Science Center are seen in Provo, Utah, US in an undated photograph. (BYU/Handout via REUTERS)

A prehistoric reptile that roamed the coasts of Africa 66 million years ago had deadly shark-like teeth that could cut a fish in half with one bite, a recent study has revealed.

The Daily Mail reported that researchers have discovered the fossilized remains of a new species of mosasaur - an ancient sea lizard from the age of the dinosaurs. This particular species was found to have shark-like teeth that gave it a deadly slicing bite.

The discovery adds to the diversity of marine reptiles in the late Cretaceous period, and suggests their diversity peaked just before the dinosaur-killing asteroid hit 66 million years ago.

The fossilized remains of the new species were discovered in the Maastrichtian Phosphates of Morocco by researchers from the British University of Bath.

Dr. Nick Longrich, senior lecturer at the Milner Center for Evolution at the University of Bath and lead author of the study, said: "66 million years ago, the coasts of Africa were the most dangerous seas in the world. Predator diversity there was unlike anything seen anywhere else on the planet."

The new mosasaur adds to a rapidly growing list of marine reptiles known from the latest Cretaceous of Morocco, which at the time was submerged beneath a tropical sea. A huge diversity of mosasaurs lived here. Some were giant, deep-diving predators like modern sperm whales, others with huge teeth and growing up to ten meters long, were top predators like orcas, still others ate shellfish like modern sea otters - and then there was the strange little Xenodens.



Starbucks to Eliminate 1,100 Corporate Roles

Starbucks employees, union members and supporters strike outside of a Starbucks store which is closed down due to the strike on December 23, 2024 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)
Starbucks employees, union members and supporters strike outside of a Starbucks store which is closed down due to the strike on December 23, 2024 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Starbucks to Eliminate 1,100 Corporate Roles

Starbucks employees, union members and supporters strike outside of a Starbucks store which is closed down due to the strike on December 23, 2024 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)
Starbucks employees, union members and supporters strike outside of a Starbucks store which is closed down due to the strike on December 23, 2024 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol said on Monday the coffee chain has decided to eliminate 1,100 corporate roles.

The layoff would include current support partner roles and several hundred additional open and unfilled positions, Niccol said in a letter to employees, Reuters reported.

Niccol had in January said the company will cut jobs to optimize its support teams as part of its turnaround efforts, the details of which was to be announced by early March.

The layoff would not affect in-store teams or the investments Starbucks is making in store hours, Niccol said on Monday.