Pronunciation: bron-toe-MEE-russ
Meaning: Thunder thighs
Author/s: Taylor et al. (2011)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Utah, USA
Discovery Chart Position: #768
Brontomerus mcintoshi
(McIntosh's Thunder thighs)Etymology
Brontomerus is a derived from the Greek "bronto" (thunder) and "merós" (thigh), because the shape of the ilium (a hip bone) offers a huge area for muscle attachment and suggests that it was in possesion of "thunder thighs".
The species epithet, mcintoshi, honors sauropod guru John S. McIntosh whose palaeontological work, done mostly unfunded and on his own time, has been an inspiration to all sauropod workers. ZooBank registry: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:76AB6943-6AC1-4577-A211-8ED62E9EF8C1.
Discovery
The remains of Brontomerus were discovered at Hotel Mesa Quarry (OMNH locality V857) in the Ruby Ranch Member of the Burro Canyon Formation (often referred to as the Cedar Mountain Formation, as the latter is more widely recognized and the two are "only" separated by the Colorado River), Grand
County, eastern Utah, USA, in 1994. The holotype (OMNH 66430) is a left ilium from the smaller of two specimens discovered side by side. It's a nice thought that they may have represented mother and child but that is pure speculation.
