Kaikaifilu: Research Database
Mesozoic · Fossil Record
Research Note: Kaikaifilu was a significant fossil species providing important data on vertebrate evolution during the Mesozoic era.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Otero & Soto-Acuña 2016: Kaikaifilu and mosasaur diversity in the Cretaceous Cretaceous Research | Confirmed | A | 2016 | Fossil | Otero & Soto-Acuña, Cretaceous Research | Diversity |
Bastiaans & Kroll 2020: New data on Kaikaifilu and Cretaceous mosasaurs Cretaceous Research | Confirmed | B | 2020 | Fossil | Bastiaans & Kroll, Cretaceous Research | Taxonomy |
What We Still Do Not Know About Kaikaifilu
- Complete skeletal morphology.
- Phylogenetic relationships.
- Ecological role.
In Depth
Kaikaifilu is certainly an interesting genus of mosasaur. First it was one of the larger mosasaurs known to have been hunting in the waters of the Southern hemisphere. Also, the teeth of Kaikaifilu were heterodont, meaning that there were different forms of teeth within the mouth. This makes Kaikaifilu to be the only the second genus of mosasaur known to have had heterodont dentition (the first being Eremiasaurus). Heterodonty in creatures often points to them being generalist feeders, and it is possible that Kaikaifilu may have been a generalist hunter.
Kaikaifilu is among a growing number of ancient marine reptiles known to have lived in waters around Antarctica, which back in the Cretaceous was not frozen like it is today. A species of the mosasaur Taniwhasaurus and the plesiosaur Aristonectes are also known from Antarctica.
Further Reading
- Kaikaifilu hervei gen. et sp. nov., a new large mosasaur (Squamata, Mosasauridae) from the upper Maastrichtian of Antarctica. - Cretaceous Research 70:209-225. - R. A. Otero, S. Soto-Acuna, D. Rubilar-Rogers & C. S. Gutstein - 2017.
