Wow, this is amazing. To think, this place where I am sitting and writing this right now was once all under water millions of years ago. And right where I am sitting, there were gigantic prehistoric reptiles and amazingly scary huge fish with razor-sharp teeth gliding around, locked in a fierce battle for survival.
Now archaeologists near Morden, Manitoba, about 70 minutes drive from here in Kittson County, have uncovered the fossil of a 20-foot fish known by the super cool name of Xiphactinus. But wait! Here is the kicker: Inside the mouth of this Xiphactinus was the flipper of a gigantic reptile!
That’s right! This 20-foot mega-tough fish, pictured at right, apparently had been munching on a monster mosasaur fin! Ordinarily, a Xiphactinus would be no match for a mosasaur -- not even close! Think about a super-hyped up alligator on steroids mixed with a great white shark -- that my friend, is what a mosasaur was like.
Or think of the Loch Ness monster crossed with Godzilla! A mosasaur could easily be 50-feet long, or more, and it prowled the ancient seas with a ferocious appetite. Fossils of mosasaurs have been found with bellies jammed-packed with fish.
Yet, the Xiphactinus that was unearthed near Morden recently seems to have turned the tables on that which it would usually try to escape. Somehow, someway, this fish had a mouthful of lizard lunch! Scientists don’t know if the Xiphactinus was fighting with the mosasaur, or pursuing it for a snack.
Whatever happened took place some 80 million years ago. At that time, southern Manitoba was covered by a saltwater seaway, but this should not be mistaken for the giant freshwater lake that covered northern Minnesota and southern Manitoba a mere 12,000 years ago.
The Xiphactinus was discovered during a dig being conducted by a staff member of the Canadian Fossil Discovery Center. The bones were first sighted in a drainage ditch along the edge of what used to be the Western Interior Seaway.
Morden, Manitoba, is a really cool town in southern Manitoba, and they have a wonderful museum filled with ancient fossils of many prehistoric creatures, including the Xiphactinus and mosasaurs. Take it from me, your Kittson County Top News Examiner, I’ve been there, and it’s worth the trip.
In the near future, this latest discovery of a humungous fish with a giant reptile flipper in its mouth will probably be on display in the Morden Museum. Anyone reading this should go there -- it’s cool.
Author: Ken Korczak | Source: Examiner [July 24, 2010]
