During which geological period did *Xiphactinus* inhabit the shallow seas covering North America?
Answer
Late Cretaceous
*Xiphactinus* was a dominant predator during the Late Cretaceous period, existing approximately 85 million years ago. This time frame places it squarely within the Mesozoic Era, an epoch known for immense marine reptiles and massive predatory fish. The warm, shallow seas that periodically covered vast tracts of North America during the Late Cretaceous, specifically the Western Interior Seaway, provided the ideal habitat for this apex predator to thrive and hunt the abundant fish populations present at that time.
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