Fossils May Reveal a Clash of the Titans Between Two Undersea Reptiles

What was Jormungandr walhallaensis? Taking its name from an ancient apocalypse myth and representing a missing link in reptile evolution, this 80-million-year-old mosasaur was no stranger to a fight.

By Joshua Rapp Learn
Nov 29, 2023 4:00 PM
A reconstruction of two Jormungandr walhallaensis mosasaurs fighting.
Named after a creature associated with the apocalypse, Jormungandr walhallaensis mosasaurs were feisty, fighting with other members of their species, as well as other mosasaurs. (Credit: Henry Sharpe)

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

According to the tales of Norse mythology, a sea serpent surrounds the world, circling its waters in a continuous cycle, by biting onto its own tail. When the creature eventually releases its bite, the stories say, a world-ending battle will ensue, destroying the old and ushering in the new.

In a similar narrative of rebirth and revival, the name of this sea serpent, Jörmungandr, has recently taken on a new meaning. This year, a team of researchers gave the name to a specimen of mosasaur — a massive marine reptile — that may have met its end, around 80 million years ago, at the mouth of another mosasaur.

"From the vertebrae, we know that this thing was bitten at one time by another mosasaur," says Amelia Zietlow, a paleontologist at the Richard Gilder Graduate School at the American Museum of Natural History and a member of the research team. "There was nothing else we know of at that time that could have made a bite that big or that deep."

According to researchers, the newly described Jormungandr walhallaensis species was much more than a meal for other mosasaurs, however. Today, the species reveals important information about the way that mosasaurs evolved, becoming some of the biggest predators that ever swam through the world's oceans.

What Did J. walhallaensis Look Like?

0 free articles left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

0 free articlesSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

Stay Curious

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and unlock one more article for free.

 

View our Privacy Policy


Want more?
Keep reading for as low as $1.99!


Log In or Register

Already a subscriber?
Find my Subscription

More From Discover
Recommendations From Our Store
Shop Now
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2023 Kalmbach Media Co.