Mapusaurus

earth lizard (land lizard)

• mapu · Mapudungun · earth / land
• saurus · Greek · lizard

Mapusaurus combines the Mapudungun word "mapu", meaning "earth" or "land", with the Greek "sauros", meaning "lizard". The name was chosen to honour the Mapuche people of Patagonia, whose language is Mapudungun and whose traditional lands include the region where the fossils were found. The full name is often translated as "earth lizard" or "lizard of the land".

Named by

Coria and Currie

Year named

2006

Period

Late Cretaceous

Stages

Cenomanian – Turonian

Found in

Huincul Formation, Neuquén Province, Patagonia, Argentina

A giant carcharodontosaurid theropod closely related to Giganotosaurus. The type species is Mapusaurus roseae. A bonebed with several individuals has been cited as possible evidence of group behaviour.