Pronunciation: yuh-MAH-toe-SOR-us
Meaning: Yamato lizard
Author/s: Kobayashi et al. (2021)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Awaji Island, Japan
Acta Ordinal: #1062
Yamatosaurus izanagii
(Yamato Lizard, honouring Izanagi)Etymology
Yamatosaurus is derived from "Yamato" (an ancient region of Japan, aka Yamatai) and the Greek "sauros" (lizard).
The species epithet, izanagii, honours the deity Izanagi, who created eight islands in Yamato: Awaji (where the holotype was discovered), Shikoku, Oki, Kyushu, Iki, Tsushima, Sado and Honshu.
Discovery
The remains of Yamatosaurus were discovered in the Kita-Ama Formation of Awaji Island, Japan, by Shingo Kishimoto in May 2004.
The holotype (MNHAH D1-033516—donated to the Museum of Nature and Human Activities in Hyogo Prefecture by Kishimoto in 2013) includes part of the right lower jaw, twelve teeth, four neck vertebrae and three ribs, a partial right shoulder bone, and a tail vertebra.
Preparators
Kazumi Wada, Tomomi Ikeda and Chisato Ota, of the Museum of Nature and Human Activities.
