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Globidens

Say it: GLOH-bih-dens

Name means: “globe tooth”1

Ate: MeatMosasaursLate CretaceousNot technically a dinosaur

Globidens was a marine lizard that lived in the warm, shallow seas of the Late Cretaceous. It had strange, round teeth like little balls, perfect for crushing the hard shells of its prey. Unlike many other sea reptiles, Globidens was a shell-crushing specialist!1

Fun fact: this sea reptile swam while dinosaurs walked on land. Everyone calls them dinos, but they were a different branch of reptiles.

Lived

90 to 66 million years ago3

Late Cretaceous

Fossils found in

North America (USA: Alabama, South Dakota, Kansas, etc.), Africa (Morocco, Angola, Egypt), Middle East (Syria, Jordan), and South America (Brazil)3 1

Food

Meat1

Length

5 to 6 m1

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

as long as 6 dogs nose to tailas long as 33 bananas end to end

How big was Globidens compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

cool stuff

Fun facts

Globidens had round, globe-shaped teeth that were different from the sharp teeth of most other mosasaurs.1

Scientists found stomach contents inside a Globidens fossil from South Dakota, showing it ate clams called inoceramids.1

Globidens lived about 84 to 66 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period.3

The first Globidens fossil was a partial skull and a neck bone found in Alabama, USA, and named in 1912 by Charles W. Gilmore.1

Globidens had a strong, robust skull and a powerful bite to crush the shells of its prey.1

Fossils of Globidens have been found on four continents: North America, Africa, South America, and Asia (Middle East).1 3

AI-made picture of Globidens — An AI-made picture of how Globidens might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Globidens

?How big was Globidens?

Globidens was a medium-sized mosasaur, measuring about 5 to 6 metres (16 to 20 feet) long.1

?What did Globidens eat?

Globidens ate hard-shelled prey like turtles, ammonites, nautili, and bivalves. Stomach contents from a fossil found in South Dakota showed it ate clams called inoceramids.1 2

?Why did Globidens have round teeth?

Globidens had round, globe-shaped teeth that were perfect for crushing tough shells. Unlike most mosasaurs with sharp teeth for grabbing slippery prey, Globidens was a shell-crushing specialist.1

?Was Globidens a dinosaur?

No, Globidens was not a dinosaur. It was a marine lizard, a type of mosasaur that lived in the sea during the Late Cretaceous.1

?When did Globidens live?

Globidens lived during the Late Cretaceous period, about 84 to 66 million years ago.1

?Where have Globidens fossils been found?

Globidens fossils have been found in Angola, Brazil, Colombia, Morocco, Syria, and the United States.1

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For dino experts

Scientific name: Globidens
Named by: Gilmore 19123
Group: Mosasaurs
Family / clade: Mosasauridae3
Classification: Mosasauroidea3
Age of the rocks: 90 to 66 million years (Coniacian / Maastrichtian)3
Rock formations: Pierre Shale, Wolfe City/Sprinkle, Phosphates3
Countries: USA, Morocco, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Angola3
Fossil records: 32 in the Paleobiology Database3
Discovery: Globidens was first described in 1912 by Charles W. Gilmore, based on an incomplete skull and a neck bone from Alabama, USA. The name means 'globe tooth' because of its round teeth.1
Still debated: Scientists are still debating exactly how many species of Globidens existed, as some fossils have been moved to other groups like Prognathodon.1

Where the facts come from

Globidens (en.wikipedia.org)
Stomach contents of Globidens, a shell-crushing mosasaur (Squamata), from the Late Cretaceous Pierre Shale Group, Big Bend area of the Missouri River, central South Dakota (exa.ai)
Globidens in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

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