恐龍卡第 0940 張，共 2 027 張

Kaiwhekea

名字的意思： “kai whekea means 'squid eater' in Maori”1

吃：肉蛇頸龍類白堊紀晚期嚴格來說不是恐龍

Kaiwhekea was a plesiosaur, a long-necked marine reptile that lived in the seas around New Zealand. It had a big head, large eyes and lots of small teeth for catching squid and other soft prey. This creature swam near the Antarctic polar circle during the time of the dinosaurs.1

趣味小知識：這種海生爬蟲類在海裡游泳的時候，恐龍正在陸地上走路。大家都叫牠們恐龍，但牠們其實是爬蟲類的另一個分支。

生存年代

84 到 66 百萬年前6

白堊紀晚期

化石發現地

Katiki Formation near Shag Point, Otago, South Island, New Zealand1

長度

6.5 到 7 m (21 到 23 ft)3 1

最高速度

時速約 26 公里（16 英里）

游泳, 估計值

牠生活在什麼時候？

三疊紀

侏羅紀

白堊紀

2 億 5200 萬年前20114566，小行星撞地球

牠有多大？

牠有多長？

跟 7 隻狗從鼻子接到尾巴一樣長跟 39 根香蕉頭尾相接一樣長能在 6.9 秒內游完一座大泳池（50 公尺）

Kaiwhekea 跟「你」比起來有多大？

只是在你的瀏覽器裡算算數學。什麼都不會被儲存或傳送出去。

牠有多快？

走路的人 時速約 5 公里 (3 mph)

騎腳踏車的小朋友 時速約 12 公里 (7 mph)

Kaiwhekea 時速約 26 公里 (16 mph)

一匹飛奔的馬 時速約 65 公里 (40 mph)

一隻獵豹 時速約 100 公里 (62 mph)

酷東西

趣味知識

Kaiwhekea is one of the most complete fossil reptiles ever found in New Zealand, with its skull, jaws, vertebrae and ribs still connected almost as they were in life.1

Its name comes from Maori words meaning 'squid eater', because scientists think it fed on squid and other soft animals.1

Kaiwhekea had about 43 teeth in each upper jaw and 42 in each lower jaw, all small, slim and slightly curved.3

The fossil was found inside a large rock called a concretion, which was cracked and had to be dug out bit by bit over 30 days.1

When Kaiwhekea lived, the Otago region was close to the polar circle, with long summer days and long winter nights.1

Its large forward-facing eyes suggest it had good binocular vision, which might have helped it hunt in deep or dark water.1

Kaiwhekea is thought to have been a fast swimmer, based on the shape of its hind flippers.1

Kaiwhekea 的 AI 繪圖 — 這是電腦根據科學家目前的知識，用 AI 畫出 Kaiwhekea 可能的樣子。這只是猜測：真正的動物可能長得不一樣，也沒有人知道牠真正的顏色。

你們都在問

關於 Kaiwhekea 最常被問的問題

?How big was Kaiwhekea?

Kaiwhekea was about 6.5 to 7 metres long.4 5

?What did Kaiwhekea eat?

Kaiwhekea ate squid and other soft-bodied prey. Its name means 'squid eater' in Māori.4 5

?When did Kaiwhekea live?

Kaiwhekea lived about 70 to 69 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period.4 5

?Is Kaiwhekea a dinosaur?

No, Kaiwhekea is a plesiosaur, a marine reptile that lived in the sea at the same time as dinosaurs.4 5

給恐龍專家

學名: Kaiwhekea
命名者: Cruickshank and Fordyce 20026
類群: 蛇頸龍類
科 / 演化支: Elasmosauridae6
分類: Plesiosauria > Elasmosauridae > Sauropterygia6
岩石的年代: 84 到 66 百萬年 (Campanian / Maastrichtian)6
岩層: Katiki6
國家: 紐西蘭6
化石紀錄: The Paleobiology Database 收錄 1 筆6
發現: Kaiwhekea was named by Arthur Cruickshank and Ewan Fordyce in 2002, based on a single nearly complete skeleton found in the Katiki Formation near Shag Point, New Zealand.2 1
仍有爭議: Scientists are not sure which family Kaiwhekea belongs to. Some say it is a cryptoclidid, others place it with elasmosaurids or other groups.2 1