A NEW MOSASAUROID REPTILE FROM THE CRETACEOUS 



OF ALABAMA. 



By Charles W. Gilmore, 



Assistant Curator of Fossil Reptiles, United States National Museum. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The specimen to be described was found in the L. C. Johnson col- 

 lection belonging to the United States National- Museum. 



Wliile the few fragmentary portions preserved indicate the mosas- 

 auroid affinities of the specimen, the unusual character of the teeth 

 which differ so much from the dentition of the more typical mo- 

 sasaurs that it becomes necessary to estabhsh a new genus and 

 species for its reception. 



GLOBIDENS, new genus. 



The characters of this genus are included in the description that 

 follows of Globidens alahamaensis, the type-species. 



GLOBIDENS ALABAMAENSIS, new species. 



Type. — Cat. No. 6527, U.S.N.M. This specimen consists of the left 

 maxilla, almost entire, containing mature and germ teeth, the frontal, 

 posterior part of right presplenial, one posterior cervical vertebra, and 

 numerous fragments. 



Type-locality. — With the specimen was a label on which was the 

 follomng data: — "Cretaceous, In Bogue Chitto Prairies west of 

 Hamburg continuation of same. Perry and Dallas Co., Ala. Col- 

 lected by L. C. Johnson." Unfortunately, the exact locality where 

 this specimen was found can not now be learned. 



Horizon. — The specimen was inclosed in a light-colored, chalky 

 matrix, and Dr. L. W. Stevenson, of the United States Geological 

 Survey, who is famihar with the rocks of this region, informs me that 

 the specimen in all probability comes from the Selma chalk of the 

 upper Cretaceous. 



DETAILED DESCRIPTION. 



Maxilla. — The left maxilla, lacking some of the posterior end, is 

 present (see pis. 39 and 40), and shows this bone to be massive and 

 stout as in BracJiysaurus overtonii. There is evidence of at least ten 

 teeth, and probably there were one or two more in* the end, which 

 is missing. The border meeting the premaxilla is very short, extend- 



Proceedinqs U. S. National Museum, Vol. 41— No. 1870. 



479 



