Tuarangisaurus

Tuarangisaurus had a skull that was 37 centimetres (about 15 inches) long, with fused premaxillary bones and a low ridge on top.2

It had five large teeth in the upper jaw (premaxilla) and about 15 smaller teeth in the maxilla, plus 19 to 20 teeth in the lower jaw.2

The name Tuarangisaurus means 'ancient lizard' in the Māori language, reflecting its New Zealand discovery.1

Fossils of Tuarangisaurus have been found in marine rocks that were once part of a shallow sea, showing it lived in coastal waters.2

Scientists think Tuarangisaurus gave birth to live young, like other plesiosaurs, because it could not crawl onto land to lay eggs.2

The first fossils of Tuarangisaurus were found in the Mangahouanga Stream on the North Island of New Zealand, and included both adult and juvenile skull material.1

Tuarangisaurus is part of a group called elasmosaurids, which were plesiosaurs with very long necks.5