Genus: Tylosaurus MARSH, 1872
Species: kansasensis EVERHART, 2005
Etymology: Named for the Kaw Indians, and American Indian tribe also known
as the Kanza, from which the name of the state (Kansas) is derived and
where allof the known specimens have been collected.
= Species: Nova BELL, 1997 , EVERHART, 2004
Holotype: FHSM VP-2295
Locality: 8 miles northeast of the town of Ellis, Ellis County, Kansas.
Horizon: Lower Smoky Hill Chalk Member, Niobrara Formation.
Biostratigraphy:
Age: Late Coniacian Stage, lowest Senonian subepoch, lower Gulf Epoch, Early Late Cretaceous.
Material: A complete articulated skull wiht 7 cervical vertebrae.
Note: The frontal and right dentary have several long, deep gouges and punctures that see to be unhealed bit marks from an fatal encounter with a larger mosasaur.
Referred material:
Locality: Gove County, Kansas.
Horizon: Lower Smoky Hill Chalk Member, Niobrara Formation.
Biostratigraphy:
Age: Late Coniacian Stage, lowest Senonian subepoch, lower Gulf Epoch, Early Late Cretaceous.
Material:
FHSM VP-3366: Partial skull, including premaxilla and a right quadrate, 24 cervical and dorsal vertebrae, rib fragments and preserved thoracic cartilage.
Note: Pathologic, 1 rib has a healed fracture.
Note: Serrated bite marks are on the skeletal remains from Squalicorax falcatus.
Locality: 0.5 km of the locality in Gove County that produced FHSM VP-7262, Kansas.Horizon: Near Hattin’s (1982) Marker Unit 5, Lower Smoky Hill Chalk Member, Niobrara Formation.
Biostratigraphy:
Age: Upper Coniacian Stage, Lowermost Senonian subepoch, Gulf Epoch, Late Cretaceous.
Material:
FHSM VP-13742: A large but badly weathered skull, premaxilla, portions of the maxillae, a complete frontal and both lower jaws (lacking both quadrates) and limb elements.
Note: 3 tips of shart teeth, Cretoxyrhina mantelli, were embedded in the top of the premaxilla and lateral side of both dentaries. The anterior end of the premaxilla had apparently been sheard off by the bite of a shark and the damaged bone shows on evidence of healing.