Moanasaurus

Mo-a-na-sore-us.
Published on

John Stewart

Paleoecologist

John Stewart is a distinguished paleoecologist whose work has significantly advanced our understanding of prehistoric ecosystems. With over two decades dedicated to unearthing fossils across Asia and Africa

Cite Feedback Print

Name

Moanasaurus ‭(‬Sea lizard‭)‬.

Phonetic

Mo-a-na-sore-us.

Named By

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Squamata,‭ ‬Mosasauridae,‭ ‬Mosasaurinae.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

M.‭ ‬mangahouangae‭

Size

12‭ ‬meters long,‭ ‬skull‭ ‬78‭ ‬centimetres long.

Known locations

New Zealand,‭ ‬North Island.

Time Period

Late Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Partial skull,‭ ‬vertebrae,‭ ‬ribs and metacarpals‭ (‬from the flippers‭)‬.

In Depth

       Mosasaurs appear to have been some of the most common marine reptiles around New Zealand towards the end of the Cretaceous,‭ ‬and at up to twelve meters long,‭ ‬Moanasaurus was towards the larger end of the mosasaur size scale.‭ ‬Given its large size it‭’‬s a safe bet that Moanasaurus would have been a predator of large prey that most probably consisted of other marine reptiles.‭ ‬Aside from smaller mosasaurs,‭ ‬other marine reptiles known from the waters of late Cretaceous New Zealand are elasmosaurid plesiosaurs such as Mauisaurus and Tuarangisaurus.‭ ‬These would have been quite easy prey for a large mosasaur like Moanasaurus which could probably swim faster than them as well as using its large jaws to inflict serious injuries to a plesiosaurs neck and flippers.

       Moanasaurus is a combination of the‭ ‬Māori word for sea‭ (‬‘Moana‭’‬) and the Greek for lizard‭ (‬‘sauros‭’‬).‭ ‬Other mosasaurs that are known from New Zealand include Taniwhasaurus,‭ ‬at least one species of which may have approached Moanasaurus in size,‭ ‬and Prognathodon which was a more specialised mosasaur that ate armoured prey.

Further Reading

– Moanasaurus, a new genus of marine reptile (Family Mosasauridae) from the Upper Cretaceous of North Island, New Zealand. – New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics vol 23, 4 – J. Wiffen – 1980.

Never Miss a New Species or Fossil Discovery!

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT