Moanasaurus

Moanasaurus
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Class: Sauropsida
Subclass: Diapsida
Infraclass: Lepidosauromorpha
Superorder: Lepidosauria
Order: Squamata
Family: Mosasauridae
Subfamily: Mosasaurinae
Genus: Moanasaurus
Wiffen, 1980
Species
  • M. mangahouangae (type)
    Wiffen, 1980
Synonyms
  • Rikisaurus tehoensis
    Wiffen, 1990
  • Mosasaurus flemingi
    Wiffen, 1990

Moanasaurus (From Māori moana "sea" and Greek sauros "lizard"; meaning "Sea Lizard") was a genus of mosasaur from the Late Cretaceous period. Its fossil remains have been discovered in the North Island of New Zealand. Moanasaurus was a very large mosasaurine known originally from a disarticulated skull, vertebrae, ribs and paddle bones. It reached 12 m in length and the skull is 78 cm, which shows that Moanasaurus was one of the largest in the family of mosasaurinae.

See also

External links

Wikispecies has information related to: Moanasaurus