Tahora Formation
Encyclopedia
The Tahora Formation is a Late Cretaceous
geologic formation. Indeterminate Dinosaur
remains have been recovered from the formation, including indeterminate Joan Wiffen's Theropod, Titanosaur
, Nodosaurid, and Hypsilophodont
Dinosaurs of New Zealand
remains. Other fossils found in the Tahora Formation are of the 40 foot long mosasaur
Moanasaurus
, also known as Mosasaurus
flemingi and Rikkisaurus. The humerus of a pterosaur
very similar to the Australia
n Mythunga
has also been found.
All of the finds at the Tahora Formation are from the Cretaceous
period, and have all been found by amateur palaeontologist Joan Wiffen
and her fossil
-hunting team.
Late Cretaceous
The Late Cretaceous is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous period is divided in the geologic timescale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous series...
geologic formation. Indeterminate Dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
remains have been recovered from the formation, including indeterminate Joan Wiffen's Theropod, Titanosaur
Titanosaur
Titanosaurs were a diverse group of sauropod dinosaurs, which included Saltasaurus and Isisaurus. It includes some of the heaviest creatures ever to walk the earth, such as Argentinosaurus and Paralititan — which some believe have weighed up to 100 tonnes...
, Nodosaurid, and Hypsilophodont
Hypsilophodont
Hypsilophodonts were small ornithopod dinosaurs, regarded as fast, herbivorous bipeds on the order of 1–2 meters long . They are known from Asia, Australia, Europe, New Zealand, North America, and South America, from rocks of Middle Jurassic to late Cretaceous age...
Dinosaurs of New Zealand
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
remains. Other fossils found in the Tahora Formation are of the 40 foot long mosasaur
Mosasaur
Mosasaurs are large extinct marine lizards. The first fossil remains were discovered in a limestone quarry at Maastricht on the Meuse in 1764...
Moanasaurus
Moanasaurus
Moanasaurus was a genus of mosasaur from the Late Cretaceous period. Its fossil remains have been discovered in the North Island of New Zealand. Moanasaurus was a very large mosasaurine known originally from a disarticulated skull, vertebrae, ribs and paddle bones...
, also known as Mosasaurus
Mosasaurus
Mosasaurus is a genus of mosasaur, carnivorous, aquatic lizards, somewhat resembling flippered crocodiles, with elongated heavy jaws. The genus existed during the Maastrichtian age of the Cretaceous period , around 70-65 millions years ago in the area of modern Western Europe and North America...
flemingi and Rikkisaurus. The humerus of a pterosaur
Pterosaur
Pterosaurs were flying reptiles of the clade or order Pterosauria. They existed from the late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous Period . Pterosaurs are the earliest vertebrates known to have evolved powered flight...
very similar to the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Mythunga
Mythunga
Mythunga is a genus of pterodactyloid pterosaur from the late Early Cretaceous of Australia. It is known from a partial skull found in marine rocks of the Albian-age Toolebuc Formation near Hughenden, Queensland. Only the snout and part of the jaws are known...
has also been found.
All of the finds at the Tahora Formation are from the Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
period, and have all been found by amateur palaeontologist Joan Wiffen
Joan Wiffen
-Early life:Joan Wiffen was brought up in Havelock North and King Country. Born in 1922 Joan Wiffen only had a very short secondary school education as her father believed that higher education was wasted on girls, so he made her leave...
and her fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
-hunting team.