Pronunciation: MAK-ro-GRIF-o-SOR-us
Meaning: Big enigmatic lizard
Author/s: Calvo et al. (2007)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Neuquén, Argentina
Discovery Chart Position: #615
Macrogryphosaurus gondwanicus
(Big enigmatic lizard from Gondwana)Etymology
Macrogryphosaurus is derived from the Greek "macro"
(big), "grypho" (enigmatic) and "sauros" (lizard).
The species epithet (gondwanicus) refers to its discovery on what was the ancient continent of Gondwana.
Discovery
The remains of Macrogryphosaurus were discovered in the Portezuelo Formation (Neuquén Group) 60 km NW from Neuquén city, on the west coast of Mari
Menuco Lake, Neuquén, Argentina, during a Universidad Nacional del Comahue field trip in 1999.
The holotype (MUCPv-321) is a partial articulated skeleton including much of the vertebral column, ribs, sternum, a complete pelvis and four thoracic plates. These thin plates, situated alongside the ribcage, are like those of Talenkauen, a closely related but smaller iguanodontian from the Late Cretaceous of Argentina.
