Cyclone Gabrielle
Prehistoric sea monster remnants from 80 million years ago were discovered as a result of the terrible Cyclone Gabrielle that ripped through New Zealand.
Floodwaters from Cyclone Gabrielle, which blew through Hawke’s Bay’s lowlands in February, unearthed these ancient fossils.
The prehistoric remains were unearthed at the Maungataniwha Native Forest. The two newly discovered fossil vertebrae, discovered in March but just recently announced, are thought to belong to Elasmosaurus, huge, long-necked marine reptiles that could grow to be 45 feet (14 metres) long.
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The researchers also unearthed another fossilized vertebra that could have belonged to a mosasaur, a massive marine reptile that preyed at the top of the food chain during the dinosaur age.
Mosasaur fossils have previously been unearthed in New Zealand–fossilized teeth and a partial jaw were discovered in the Mangahouanga Stream In 2015, but they are rare.
The fossils were discovered by Forest Lifeforce Restoration Trust personnel and volunteers as part of a conservation campaign to safeguard New Zealand’s native flora and fauna.
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