First record of Carinodens (Squamata, Mosasauridae) from the uppermost Maastrichtian of Stevns Klint, Denmark

A significant discovery at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Stevns Klint, Denmark, reveals the first record of Carinodens minalmamar, a rare durophagous mosasaur, from the uppermost Maastrichtian strata. This tooth crown, found within 50,000 years of the K/Pg boundary, represents the northernmost occurrence of the genus and adds a new trophic niche to the Late Cretaceous marine reptile record in Denmark. Previous finds from the region were limited to hypercarnivorous mosasaurids like Mosasaurus hoffmannii and Plioplatecarpus sp., suggesting a more diverse food web during this period. The study, published in Alcheringa, highlights the importance of Stevns Klint as a key site for understanding Late Cretaceous biodiversity.

Milàn, J., Jagt, J. W. M., Lindgren, J., & Schulp, A. S. (2017). First record of Carinodens (Squamata, Mosasauridae) from the uppermost Maastrichtian of Stevns Klint, Denmark. Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology, 42(4), 597–602. https://doi.org/10.1080/03115518.2017.1391878