New mosasaurs (Reptilia; Family Mosasauridae) from the Upper Cretaceous of North Island, New Zealand

Abstract

New mosasaur specimens of Piripauan-Haumurian (Campanian-Maastrichtian) age are described from the Mangahouanga Stream, North Island, New Zealand. These include two distinctive adult skulls and one incomplete cranial and postcranial specimen. A new genus and species Rikisaurus tehoensis is recognised and a new species of Mosasaurus, M.flemingi, is described. A further specimen is identified as aff. Prognathodon overtoni. Two fragmentary specimens are also described (as aff. Moanasaurus mangahouangae and gen. and sp. indet.), along with an isolated adult limb bone (gen. and sp. indet.) of a type not previously collected in New Zealand.

Keywords:

• Mosasauridae
• Rikisaurus tehoensis
• Moanasaurus mangahouangae
• Prognathodonovertoni
• Mosasaurus flemingi
• Mosasaurinae
• Upper Cretaceous
• Piripauan Stage
• Haumurian Stage
• new taxa
• new records