After the South Atlantic Ocean basin formed 120 million years ago, mosasaurs, plesiosaurs and sea turtles moved in and thrived along Africa’s southwest coast. Projecto PaleoAngola scientists have uncovered the fossils of these real-life sea monsters, shedding light on this period in Earth’s history—and on ocean ecosystems today.

In this exhibit you can explore modern Angola’s fossil-filled cliffs, dive into Cretaceous Angola’s cool coastal waters, and learn about the evolutionary, geological, and environmental forces that shaped life in the ocean then and now.