An enormous sea snake from Norse legend, believed to be fathered by trickster god Loki and capable of circling the globe, has inspired the name of a newly discovered species of mosasaur, a massive meat-eating marine reptile that existed 80 million years ago. Paleontologists recently described the previously unknown mosasaur found near the North Dakota town of Walhalla and named it Jormungandr walhallaensis, after Norse mythology’s Jormungandr, the Midgard Serpent, and the site of the fossil’s discovery. The fossil, labeled NDGS 10838, includes a near-complete skull with distinctive features and a long, slender face. While it resembles other mosasaurs, its unique combination of traits suggests greater diversity within the group than previously thought. The discovery, made by the North Dakota Geological Survey, has the potential to shed light on mosasaur evolution and contribute to a deeper understanding of the Cretaceous Period’s aquatic apex predators. Further research and exploration are expected to reveal more about the newly discovered mosasaur and its place in the evolutionary tree of its species.
Unveiling Newly Discovered Species: Insights into the Evolution of Prehistoric ‘Sea Monsters’
