Picky Eaters: Mosasaurs' Teeth Reveal Seafood Preference
A study conducted on the dental microwear of type-Maastrichtian mosasaurs, a group of large marine reptiles from the Late Cretaceous period, provides insights into their diets and potential niche partitioning. The study used three-dimensional dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) to analyze tooth surfaces and compare them to extant reptiles with known diets. The results suggest that mosasaurs exhibited dietary generalism with slight preferences for vertebrate and/or invertebrate prey, but also showed some level of dietary specialization and partitioning. The findings shed light on the diversity of ecological roles performed by mosasaurs and the structure of the Late Cretaceous marine ecosystem.