Soroavisaurus

Soro- bird lizard (probably)

• Soro- · uncertain · first element, origin not confirmed
• avis · Latin · bird
• sauros · Greek · lizard

The name combines Latin "avis" (bird) with Greek "sauros" (lizard), which gives "bird lizard". It is a close relative of Avisaurus, and the name echoes that genus. The first element, "Soro-", is a local place-related prefix, but I am not certain of its exact origin.

Named by

Chiappe

Year named

1993

Period

Late Cretaceous

Stage

Maastrichtian

Found in

Lecho Formation, Salta Province, northwestern Argentina

Soroavisaurus australis is the type species. It is an avisaurid enantiornithine, meaning an extinct bird. Birds are avian dinosaurs, so it counts as a dinosaur in the broad sense. It is known mainly from tarsometatarsus (lower leg) material. The origin of the "Soro-" element is not confirmed.