Pronunciation:
Meaning: Named for Yeneen
Author/s: Filippi et al. (2026)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Neuquén, Argentina
Discovery Chart Position: #1189
Yeneen houssayi
(Named for Yeneen, Honouring Houssay)Etymology
Yeneen is named for an Aónikenk (Tehuelche) winter spirit associated with cold and harsh weather, alluding to the Spanish "La Invernada"—both the fossil locality and a grazing site where cattle spend the winter.
The species epithet, houssayi, honours Dr. Bernardo Alberto Houssay, a recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, who helped promote the creation of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET): the main government agency that fosters the development of science and technology in Argentina.
Discovery
The remains of Yeneen were discovered at "La Invernada" in the the Bajo de la Carpa Formation (Neuquén Group), Neuquén province, Patagonia, Argentina, by a National Gendarmerie officer in 2003. The holotype (MAU-Pv-LI-538/1–30) consists of six neck vertebrae, ten back vertebrae with associated ribs, a complete sacrum, and the first tail vertebra.
The site also yielded a second specimen (MAU-Pv-LI-539) represented by a small hip bone, and a third (MAU-Pv-LI-731) consisting of vertebrae and limb bones which have yet to be fully prepared.
