Pronunciation: en-KWEB-uh-SOR-us
Meaning: Kirkwood (formation) lizard
Author/s: De Klerk et al. (2000)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
Acta Ordinal: #479
Nqwebasaurus thwazi
(Fast-Running Kirkwood Lizard)Etymology
Nqwebasaurus is derived from Nqweba (en-KWEB-uh), the Xhosa name for the Kirkwood region, and the Greek "sauros" (lizard).
The species epithet, thwazi (TWAH-zee), is also from Xhosa, and means "fast runner".
Discovery
"Kirky" was discovered in the Uitenhage Member of the Kirkwood formation, 17 km west of Kirkwood village, Algoa Basin, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.
The holotype (AM 604—housed at the Albany Museum, Grahamstown, South Africa) includes a partial skull, some neck and back vertebrae, a partial hip, fore and hindlimbs, and belly ribs.
