Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand abstracts

An ichthyosaur fragment from the Cretaceous of Northland, New Zealand

Sven Sachs

Institut für Paläontologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Malteser Strasse 74-100, Haus D, 12249 Berlin, Germany.

Jack A. Grant-Mackie

Department of Geology, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92 019, Auckland, New Zealand.

Abstract  The rostrum fragment of an ichthyosaur from Northland in New Zealand is described. The specimen appears to belong to the genus Platypterygius. It is the first Mesozoic marine vertebrate fossil reported from Northland and the first cranial element of a Cretaceous ichthyosaur from New Zealand. The fragment is, unfortunately, of uncertain provenance and could have come from the widespread Northland Allochthon (Early Cretaceous-Oligocene) or the allochthonous Houhora Complex (late Early Cretaceous) or Whatuwhiwhi Formation (latest Early to Late Cretaceous), perhaps by way of initial derivation from the Early Miocene Omapere Conglomerate.

Keywords  Ichthyosauria; Platypterygius; Cretaceous; Northland; North Island; New Zealand

R02024 Received 9 July 2002; accepted 28 November 2002; published 30 April 2003
© Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 33, Number 1, March 2003, pp 307-314

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