Oxalaia

named for Oxalá, an Afro-Brazilian deity

• Oxalá · Yoruba (via Afro-Brazilian religion) · a major orixá (deity) of creation
• -ia · Latinized suffix · noun-forming ending

Oxalaia is named after Oxalá, an important deity (orixá) of Afro-Brazilian religions such as Candomblé, associated with creation and regarded as a father figure. The name was chosen to honour the African cultural heritage of the region of Maranhão where the fossils were found. The type species, Oxalaia quilombensis, refers to the Quilombo community on Cajual Island near the fossil site.

Named by

Kellner et al.

Year named

2011

Period

Late Cretaceous

Stage

Cenomanian

Found in

Alcântara Formation, Cajual Island, Maranhão, Brazil

A large spinosaurid theropod known from fragmentary remains (parts of the snout and other bones). Some researchers have suggested it may be very close to, or possibly synonymous with, Spinosaurus, but it is generally treated as a distinct genus.