Kaiwhekea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kaiwhekea |
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| Restoration with size comparison | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Superorder: | †Sauropterygia |
| Order: | †Plesiosauria |
| Family: | †Elasmosauridae |
| Clade: | †Aristonectinae |
| Genus: | †Kaiwhekea Cruickshank & Fordyce, 2002 |
| Type species | |
| †Kaiwhekea katiki Cruickshank & Fordyce, 2002
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Kaiwhekea was an amazing ancient sea reptile. It belonged to a group called plesiosaurs. These creatures lived a very long time ago, during the Late Cretaceous period. That was about 70 to 69 million years ago! Kaiwhekea swam in the oceans that covered what is now New Zealand.
Discovering Kaiwhekea
Scientists first learned about Kaiwhekea in 2002. Two researchers, Arthur Cruickshank and Ewan Fordyce, described it. They named the only known species Kaiwhekea katiki.
This ancient reptile was quite large. It grew to be about 7 meters (23 feet) long. Imagine a creature longer than a car swimming in the ocean!
The only known fossil of Kaiwhekea is almost complete. It was found in the Katiki Formation near Shag Point. This area is on the coast of Otago, New Zealand. Today, you can see this incredible fossil at the Otago Museum in Dunedin, New Zealand.
How Scientists Classify Kaiwhekea
Scientists group living things based on their features. This helps us understand how different animals are related. Kaiwhekea is part of the plesiosaur family. More specifically, it belongs to a group called Aristonectinae.
For a while, some scientists thought Kaiwhekea might be in a different group called Leptocleididae. However, newer studies suggest it is indeed an aristonectine plesiosaur. This means it is closely related to another ancient sea reptile called Aristonectes.
Scientists use special diagrams to show these relationships. These diagrams help them see how different ancient animals fit into the tree of life.
See also
In Spanish: Kaiwhekea para niños
