Mauisaurus
Encyclopedia
Mauisaurus is a genus
of plesiosaur
that lived during the Late Cretaceous
period around 80 to 69 million years ago in what is now New Zealand
. It was the largest plesiosaur, and perhaps the largest marine reptile
in New Zealand
waters at the time. Mauisaurus haasti is the only known species
of the genus. A handful of specimens have been found, although only a few are well preserved and mostly complete. The only other established New Zealand plesiosaur, Tuarangisaurus keyesi
, cannot be linked as a direct relative to Mauisaurus.
, with sharp jagged teeth that would have been used to grip fish or squid.
, near Canterbury
. Altogether, around seven Mauisaurus specimens have been found in the area, most in or around the Waiarapa River. One Mauisaurus fossil was even found battling another mosasaur
from the New Zealand region. Mauisaurus gardneri was described in 1877, but was later found to be separate to Mauisaurus haasti and is now considered a nomen nudum
.
Mauisaurus gets its name from the New Zealand Māori mythological
demigod, Māui
. Māui is said to have pulled New Zealand up from the seabed using a fish hook, thus creating the country. Thus, Mauisaurus means "Māui reptile". Mauisaurus gets its scientific last name from its original finder, Julius Haast, who found the first Mauisaurus fossil in 1870. The specimen was then first described in 1874.
s and prehistoric life, Mauisaurus was featured hunting fish on the $1.20 stamp.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of plesiosaur
Plesiosaur
Plesiosauroidea is an extinct clade of carnivorous plesiosaur marine reptiles. Plesiosauroids, are known from the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods...
that lived during the Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous
The Late Cretaceous is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous period is divided in the geologic timescale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous series...
period around 80 to 69 million years ago in what is now New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It was the largest plesiosaur, and perhaps the largest marine reptile
Marine reptile
Marine reptiles are reptiles which have become secondarily adapted for an aquatic or semi-aquatic life in a marine environment.The earliest marine reptiles arose in the Permian period during the Paleozoic era...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
waters at the time. Mauisaurus haasti is the only known species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of the genus. A handful of specimens have been found, although only a few are well preserved and mostly complete. The only other established New Zealand plesiosaur, Tuarangisaurus keyesi
Tuarangisaurus
Tuarangisaurus is an extinct genus of elasmosaurid known from New Zealand. Tuarangisaurus is known from the holotype NZGS CD425, a nearly complete skull and mandible and from NZGS CD426, nine anterior-most cervical vertebrae...
, cannot be linked as a direct relative to Mauisaurus.
Description
Mauisaurus was similar to other plesiosaurs. It had a characteristically long neck, that grew up to 15 metres (49.2 ft) in length, more than half its total length. Mauisaurus neck length makes it one of the top plesiosaurs with a large neck to body length ratio. In total, Mauisaurus grew to around 20 metres (65.6 ft) in length and was easily the largest plesiosaur in New Zealand waters. Like other plesiosaurs, it had a long slender body, with numerous vertebrae, allowing flexible movement. On its underside, Mauisaurus had two sets of large flippers. These aided in swimming at high speeds, but may have also allowed the plesiosaur to venture onto shorelines for short amounts of time. Mauisaurus was a carnivoreCarnivore
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...
, with sharp jagged teeth that would have been used to grip fish or squid.
History of discovery
Mauisaurus remains have all been found in New Zealand's South IslandSouth Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
, near Canterbury
Canterbury, New Zealand
The New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-...
. Altogether, around seven Mauisaurus specimens have been found in the area, most in or around the Waiarapa River. One Mauisaurus fossil was even found battling another mosasaur
Mosasaur
Mosasaurs are large extinct marine lizards. The first fossil remains were discovered in a limestone quarry at Maastricht on the Meuse in 1764...
from the New Zealand region. Mauisaurus gardneri was described in 1877, but was later found to be separate to Mauisaurus haasti and is now considered a nomen nudum
Nomen nudum
The phrase nomen nudum is a Latin term, meaning "naked name", used in taxonomy...
.
Mauisaurus gets its name from the New Zealand Māori mythological
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
demigod, Māui
Maui (Maori mythology)
In Māori mythology, Māui is a culture hero famous for his exploits and his trickery.-Māui's birth:The offspring of Tū increased and multiplied and did not know death until the generation of Māui-tikitiki . Māui is the son of Taranga, the wife of Makeatutara...
. Māui is said to have pulled New Zealand up from the seabed using a fish hook, thus creating the country. Thus, Mauisaurus means "Māui reptile". Mauisaurus gets its scientific last name from its original finder, Julius Haast, who found the first Mauisaurus fossil in 1870. The specimen was then first described in 1874.
Cultural references
Mauisaurus is one of the few New Zealand prehistoric creatures, and so, has had much publicity in the country. On 1 October 1993, a set of stamps was released to the general public. Although it depicted many other dinosaurDinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
s and prehistoric life, Mauisaurus was featured hunting fish on the $1.20 stamp.