Moanasaurus mangahouangae or mosasaurus mangahouangae?

Abstract

The taxonomic status of the mosasaur genus Moanasaurus mangahouangae (Wiffen, 1980) has been recently questioned by Wright on the grounds of inadequate diagnosis, lack of differential diagnosis, and similarities to the genus Mosasaurus. This paper discusses these issues, provides an amended diagnosis and differential diagnosis, clarifies the differences found between Moanasaurus mangahouangae and Mosasaurus, and suggests that the genus Moanasaurus should be retained until the evolutionary lines from which Mosasaurus is derived are more positively determined and new revisions of the family Mosasauridae are published. © Crown 1990.