Globidens ("Globe teeth") is an extinct genus of mosasaurid oceanic lizard classified as part of the Globidensini tribe in the Mosasaurinae subfamily.
Globidens belongs to the family Mosasauridae, which consists of several genera of predatory marine lizards of various sizes that were prevalent during the Late Cretaceous.
Globidens had semispherical teeth with rounded points suited for crushing tough, armored prey, including turtles, ammonites, nautili, and bivalves.
Like its larger relative, Mosasaurus, Globidens had a robustly built skull with tightly-articulating jaws and a strong bite that played a large role in the animal’s ability to penetrate the armor of its shelled prey.
Gilmore's initial assessment of Globidens, based on an incomplete specimen of G. alabamaensis, made note of characteristics observable in parts of the skull, the teeth, and one of the cervical vertebrae.
[4] Since Gilmore's identification of Globidens, several other species have been identified, including G. dakotensis (Russel 1975), which is sometimes used as a secondary type specimen alongside G. alabamaensis.
[14] Stomach contents of a specimen found in South Dakota support prior assumptions, showing the crushed shells of inoceramid clams.
[15] Globidens, like other mosasaurs, lived in the warm, shallow seas of the Late Cretaceous, such as the Western Interior Seaway of North America.