Mangahouanga Stream (N104/f909) (Cretaceous to of New Zealand)

Also known as Moanasaurus locality

Where: New Zealand (39.0° S, 176.8° E: paleocoordinates 59.0° S, 168.8° W)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

When: Maungataniwha Member (Tahora Formation), Late/Upper Campanian to Late/Upper Campanian (83.5 - 66.0 Ma)

• upper layers of formation, age of layer is Haumurian/Piripauan

• bed-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: marginal marine; poorly lithified, bioturbated, nodular, calcareous sandstone

• Moderately indurated, poorly bedded, fine-grained, highly bioturbated, grey-mottled sandstone and lenticular shell-beds. Low angle planar cross-bedding and minor, low amplitude symmetrical ripples are also prevalent (Crampton & Moore 1990). Calcareous and phosphatic concretions and pyrite nodules are locally common in the exposed strata. The upper part of the unit is highly fossiliferous and rich in finely comminuted plant material, slightly glauconitic near the top. A coarse pebble to cobble basal conglomerate 50-60 m thick containing blocks of grey wacke, ripped-up sandstone clasts and minor lenses of carbonaceous mudstone and coal interfingers with the sandstone.

Size class: macrofossils

• Comprises disarticulated skull, procoelus vertebrae, paddle elements, and rib fragments.

Preservation: concretion

Collected by J. Wiffen, D.R. Milne, T. Crabtree, W.L. Moisle in 1974-1978; reposited in the IGNS

Collection methods: quarrying, surface (in situ), mechanical,

• S34-S77 in Wiffen collection. Ultimate repository N.Z. Geological Survey, Lower Hutt. (Registered as CD43 in N.Z. Geological Survey Register of fossil Chordata)

Primary reference: J. Wiffen. 1980. 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 23(4):507-528 [J. Alroy/E. Leckey/F. Aspromonte]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 232249: authorized by Evangelos Vlachos, entered by Franco Aspromonte on 03.11.2023

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names
Reptilia
 Squamata - Mosasauridae
Moanasaurus mangahouangae n. gen. n. sp.
Moanasaurus mangahouangae n. gen. n. sp. Wiffen 1980 mosasaur
S34-S77 (holotype), comprises disarticulated skull, procoelus vertebrae, paddle elements, and rib fragments