Kōrero: Fossils

This skull of an adult elasmosaur, Taurangisaurus keyesi, was collected in March 1978 from Mangahouanga Stream, a tributary of the Te Hoe River, Hawke's Bay. It was found by Joan Wiffen, her husband Pont, and W. L. Moisley. It is late Cretaceous in age (around 80 million years ago). Elasmosaurs were marine reptiles with long flexible necks. Like dinosaurs, they died out around 65 million years ago.

This fossil is part of the GNS Science National Paleontological Collection.