Tuarangisaurus fossil map
Where fossils of Tuarangisaurus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 75 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 75 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Plesiosaurs & kin |
|---|---|
| Lived | 83.6–66 million years ago (Campanian to Maastrichtian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous |
| Family | Elasmosauridae |
| Named by | Wiffen and Moisley 1986 |
| Fossil records | 7 occurrences at 6 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | New Zealand, Angola, Argentina |
| Rock formations | Tahora, Mocuio, Conway, Lefipán |
About Tuarangisaurus
Tuarangisaurus (Māori: tuarangi "ancient" + Greek: σαῦρος, romanized: sauros "lizard") is an extinct genus of elasmosaurid known from New Zealand and Argentina. The type and only known species is Tuarangisaurus keyesi, named by "Pont" Wiffen, Joan Wiffen and Bill Moisley in 1986. The specific name honours Ian W. Keyes of the New Zealand Geological Survey.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Tuarangisaurus (revision 1376195929), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q18374302.
