Mauisaurus was a plesiosaur, a type of marine reptile. It was not a dinosaur, though it coexisted with many dinosaurs. The first Mauisaurus fossil was discovered in 1874.

Quick facts about Mauisaurus:

  • Existed from 85.8 million years ago to Maastrichtian Age
  • Lived in a marine environment
  • Was a carnivore
  • Reproduced by live birth
  • 9 different specimens have been found by paleontologists

All the Mauisaurus illustrations below were collected from the internet. Enjoy and explore:

Mauisaurus was described by the following scientific paper(s):
  • J. Hector. 1874. On the fossil Reptilia of New Zealand. Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand 6:333-358