THE ECOLOGY AND LIFE HISTORY OF “THE CAPTAIN”: A NEW OCCURRENCE OF TYLOSAURUS KANSASENSIS

The Niobrara Formation (87 - 82 mya) located in central Kansas represents, one of the finest examples of a marine fossil assemblage for North America. During the late Cretaceous the Western Interior Seaway includes a new group of predatory marine reptiles within the order of Squamata called the Mosasaurus appear. The appearance of these new marine reptiles promotes the biodiversity of this inland sea and in turn, branches out into a new subfamily, the Tylosaurinae. A new fossil specimen found within the upper sections of the Coniacian stage sediments, between MU-2 and MU-5 inside northwestern Ness County has been reported and placing it within the Smoky Hill Chalk (82 mya) member of the Niobrara Formation. The specimen contains exquisite preservation of cranial and post-cranial materials and affectionately dubbed “The Captain”. This specimen of Tylosaurine is considered a new occurrence of Tylosaurus kansasensis and unveils new information on the ecology and life history of this apex predator.