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Biography: Wiffen, Joan

Joan Wiffen with elasmosaurus bone

Joan Wiffen with elasmosaurus bone

Joan Wiffen holding up the humerus of a plesiosaur, Elasmosaurus keyesi. She named it after Ian Keyes, a curator at the New Zealand Geological Survey who provided technical assistance in her early work. This photograph was taken by Wendy St George in 1983, during one of Joan’s visits to the Geological Survey.

Using this item

GNS Science

Reference: 4462

Permission of GNS Science must be obtained before any use of this image.

How to cite this page

Simon Nathan. 'Wiffen, Joan', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 2018. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/46970/joan-wiffen-with-elasmosaurus-bone (accessed 6 June 2026).