Pronunciation: SHOO-kah-ro-SOR-us
Meaning: Indomitable lizard
Author/s: Agnolin et al. (2023)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Río Negro, Argentina
Discovery Chart Position: #1090
Chucarosaurus diripienda
(Scrambled indomitable lizard)Etymology
Chucarosaurus is derived from the native Quechua "Chucaro" (hard and indomitable animal) and the Greek "sauros" (lizard). Chucaro also refers to the Gauchos: the brave and skilled (but unruly) nomadic "cowboys of South America".The species epithet, diripienda, means "scrambled" in Latin. The name refers to its bones being so big that they caused the truck that was carrying them to tip over and send them flying. But they suffered no damage and, in fact, broke the asphalt road surface!
Discovery
The remains of Chucarosaurus were discovered at Pueblo Blanco Natural Reserve in the Huincul Formation (Neuquén Basin), Rio Negro Province, Patagonia, Argentina, by a field crew including M. Isasi, A.
Moreno, M. Cerroni, G. Lo Coco, G. Álvarez-Herrera and J. Garcia Marsà, in 2018.
The holotype (MPCA PV 820) is a partial left forelimb, a hip bone (left ischium), a partial left thigh and left calf, a piece of right shin, and an indeterminate foot bone. Referred material (MPCA PV 821) includes a left thigh and a shin.
Preparators
Gonzalo Muñoz, Santiago Miner and David Piazza.
