PYCNODONT Ray Finned Fish Jaw with Teeth - Morocco

The Phacodus evolved during the Late Triassic and disappeared during the Eocene. The group has been found in rock formations in Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America.

The pycnodontiforms were small to middle-sized fish, with laterally-compressed body and almost circular outline.

Pycnodontiform fishes lived mostly in shallow-water seas. They had special jaws with round and flattened teeth, well adapted to crush food items. Some species lived in rivers and possibly fed on molluscs and crustaceans.

This specimen comes from the phosphate mines located near Khourigba, Morocco and are dated to the Upper Cretaceous Period (99-65 Million Years Old)