Pronunciation:
Meaning: Star lizard
Author/s: Lerzo et al. (2024)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Neuquén, Argentina
Discovery Chart Position: #1112
Sidersaura marae
(Mara's Star Lizard)Etymology
Sidersaura is derived from the Latin "sider" (star) and the Greek "saura" (the feminine form of the Greek "sauros", meaning "lizard"), referring to the peculiar form of the "haemal arches" (tail bones), which bear two sets of projections that give them a star shape.The species epithet, marae, honours fossil preparator and director of the “Ernesto Bachmann” Paleontological Museum (MMCh-PV), Mara Ripoll.
Discovery
The first remains of Sidersaura were discovered in the Huincul Formation, at Las Campanas field near Villa El Chocón, Neuquén Province, Argentina, in 2012.The holotype (MMCh-PV 70) consists of a partial skull, a partial back vertebra, fourteen tail vertebrae, a partial left shoulderblade, part of both shins and calf bones, and several foot bones.
Three specimens were also assigned as paratypes:
MMCh-PV 236, belonging to a mature individual, was found alongside the holotype of Meraxes, about 20 m from the other Sidersaura specimens. It includes a vertebra from the hip or tail, a rib, two foot bones, a partial pelvic girdle (incomplete ilium, ischia, and pubes), the left calf bone, and a 1.55 metre-long thigh which represents the largest known amongst rebbachisaurids. Also included with this specimen are several vertebrae and bones from the right leg and foot that have yet to be prepared.
MMCh-PV 307, also from a mature individual, is a partial left calf.
MMCh-PV 309, belonging to a juvenile individual, consists of a partial back vertebra.
Preparators
Jonatan Aroca, Rogelio Zapata, Christian Albornoz, Andrés Moretti, Miguel Romero, Mara Ripoll.
