"Dagger-Toothed Sea Monster: Unveiling the Evolution of Ocean Predators from the Dinosaur Era"

Paleontologists have discovered a new species of marine lizard, Khinjaria acuta, with dagger-like teeth that lived near the end of the dinosaur era, revealing a dramatically different ocean ecosystem compared to today. The study, based on fossils found in Morocco, shows an extraordinarily diverse fauna of predators, including multiple species larger than great white sharks, just before the dinosaurs went extinct. The findings shed light on the significant changes in marine ecosystems following the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs, leading to the disappearance of mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, and giant sea turtles, and the emergence of new marine predators like whales and seals.