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List of dinosaurs and other Mesozoic reptiles of New Zealand facts for kids

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Even though it's rare to find them, fossils show that dinosaurs once lived in New Zealand. The ground in New Zealand doesn't usually keep fossils well, so scientists have mostly found only small pieces of bone and a few backbones. Because these fossils are often just one bone or a tiny bit of a bone, it's hard to tell exactly what type of dinosaur it was. But by comparing these pieces to other fossils, scientists can often figure out which big group, like a family or order, the dinosaur belonged to.

It's much easier to find fossils of sea creatures in New Zealand. This is because dead animals and plants in the ocean often get covered quickly by sand and mud, which helps them turn into fossils. That's why some fossils of huge sea reptiles found in New Zealand are almost complete, making it easier to identify their exact species.

Discovering Dinosaurs in New Zealand

So far, scientists have found fossils in New Zealand that tell us about these amazing creatures:

Land Dinosaurs

See also: List of Australian and Antarctic dinosaurs

Scientists have found bones from several types of land-dwelling dinosaurs in New Zealand. While it's hard to know the exact species from small bone fragments, we can still learn a lot!

Name When They Lived Where Found Notes
Ankylosaur About 72 to 66 million years ago Tahora Formation This was a plant-eating, armored dinosaur, possibly like the Kunbarrasaurus.
Compsognathid? About 152 to 145 million years ago Huriwai Measures Formation Waikato River, Waikato Known from toe bones. It's not certain, but these bones look a lot like those from small, fast-running dinosaurs called Compsognathids.
Ornithopod About 72 to 66 million years ago Tahora Formation This was a plant-eating dinosaur that walked on two legs.
Joan Wiffen's theropod About 72 to 66 million years ago Tahora Formation This was a meat-eating dinosaur, possibly a type of megaraptoran.
Titanosaur About 72 to 66 million years ago Tahora Formation Known from a rib bone. Titanosaurs were huge, long-necked, plant-eating dinosaurs.
Unidentified dinosaur About 72 to 66 million years ago Tahora Formation We know about this one from its footprints! It might have been an armored dinosaur.
Unidentified theropod Late Cretaceous Period Tahora Formation Known from a toe bone. This meat-eating dinosaur was about the size of an Allosaurus.
Unidentified ostrich dinosaur Mid Cretaceous Period ??? This dinosaur might have looked like an ostrich, possibly an ornithomimid.

Some dinosaurs, like the Cryolophosaurus, have been found in the Ross Dependency. This area is part of Antarctica but is claimed by New Zealand. However, these fossils are not usually included in the New Zealand list unless there's proof they lived in the part of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana that became New Zealand. Scientists are also studying new dinosaur bones found in the Chatham Islands, which are part of New Zealand.

Other Ancient Reptiles

Besides dinosaurs, fossils of other amazing reptiles from the Mesozoic Era (the "Age of Reptiles") have been found in New Zealand. These creatures lived in the seas and skies!

Kaiwhekea1DB
Kaiwhekea was a type of plesiosaur.
Mauisaurus BW
Mauisaurus was the largest plesiosaur found in New Zealand.
Prognathodon saturator DB
Prognathodon was a powerful mosasaur.
Taniwhasaurus
Taniwhasaurus was a large marine reptile.
Name When They Lived Where Found Notes
Eidolosaurus Cretaceous Period A type of mosasaur-like reptile.
"Hector's ichthyosaur" Triassic Period Mount Potts This was the first ichthyosaur (a "fish lizard") found in New Zealand. It was known from very large backbones, almost twice the size of those from Shonisaurus sikanniensis. Sadly, these original bones might be lost.
Kaiwhekea Late Cretaceous Period Katiki Formation This was a type of aristonectine plesiosaur, a long-necked marine reptile.
Liodon Cretaceous Period This was a large marine reptile, possibly up to 30 feet long.
Mauisaurus Late Cretaceous Period This was the largest plesiosaur found in New Zealand.
Moanasaurus Late Cretaceous Period This was the largest mosasaur (a giant marine lizard) found in New Zealand.
Nothosaur Triassic Period Nothosaurs were marine reptiles with long bodies and paddle-like limbs.
Prognathodon Cretaceous Period A powerful mosasaur, known for its strong jaws.
Pterosaur Late Cretaceous Period These were flying reptiles, possibly a type of azhdarchid.
Taniwhasaurus Late Cretaceous Period Conway Formation Another type of mosasaur.
Tuarangisaurus Late Cretaceous Period Tahora Formation This was an elasmosaurid plesiosaur, known for its very long neck.

See also

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List of dinosaurs and other Mesozoic reptiles of New Zealand Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.