World

Scientists Uncover Ancient ‘Nightmarish’ Sea Monster Fossils

Portrait,Of,Beautiful,Paleontologist,Cleaning,Tyrannosaurus,Dinosaur,Skeleton,With,Brushes.

Not the dig site or fossil mentioned in the story. [Shutterstock/Gorodenkoff]

Ilan Hulkower Contributor
Font Size:

Researchers discovered fossils belonging to a “nightmarish” sea lizard that prowled the oceans 66 million years ago, the BBC reported Tuesday.

Scientists found the skull and other skeletal remains of the ancient creature — which is estimated to be eight meters long with “dagger-like” teeth — in a mine in Morocco, BBC reported. (RELATED: ‘Bizarre And Unfamiliar’ Creatures May Be Some Of Earth’s First Complex Lifeforms)

The apex predator’s distinctive sharp teeth inspired scientists to name the species Khinjaria acuta according to the study. “Khinjaria” derives from the Arabic word Khinjar, meaning “dagger,” while “acuta” is Latin for “sharp,” a fitting name for a species “characterized by enlarged, dagger-like anterior teeth, short, robust jaws, and posterior elongation of the skull,” the study noted.

Dr. Nick Longrich, the study’s lead author, went on to describe the species as “freakish,” with “a demon’s face and teeth like knives,” BBC reported. The teeth and jaw structure gave the species a “nightmarish appearance” and “a terrible biting force”, the researchers observed, according to the outlet.

Distant relatives of the ancient species include Komodo dragons and anacondas, BBC noted.

“Our new mosasaur Khinjaria acuta (= ‘sharp dagger’) is out in Cretaceous Research. A mouth full of teeth like knives and a face like a nightmare, Khinjaria was part of an exceedingly diverse fauna of top predators in the Maastrichtian of Morocco,” Longrich tweeted in a thread that also included illustrations of the species.

The Maastrichtian period stretched from 72.1 million to 66 million years ago according to Encyclopedia Britannica.