Iani

Named for Ianus (Janus), the Roman god of doorways and transitions

• Iani · Latin · of Ianus (Janus), Roman two-faced god of gateways, beginnings and transitions

The name refers to Ianus (Janus), the Roman god of doorways, beginnings and transitions. It was chosen because this plant-eating ornithopod comes from a time of change in North America's Cretaceous ecosystems, when older faunas gave way to newer ones. The only named species is Iani smithi, with the species name honouring the person who found the specimen.

Named by

Zanno et al.

Year named

2024

Period

Late Cretaceous

Stage

Cenomanian

Found in

Mussentuchit Member, Cedar Mountain Formation, Utah, USA

A small to medium-sized ornithopod, known from a fairly complete skeleton. Details such as exact authorship and the etymology of the species name are given from memory, so check them against the original description.