Tapuiasaurus

Tapuia lizard

• Tapuia · Tupi · a term for indigenous peoples of the Brazilian interior
• sauros · Greek · lizard

Tapuiasaurus combines "Tapuia", a Tupi word used for indigenous peoples of Brazil's interior, with the Greek "sauros" (lizard). The name honours the native people of the region where the fossil was found in Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is known from a remarkably complete skull and partial skeleton of a titanosaurian sauropod.

Named by

Zaher et al.

Year named

2011

Period

Early Cretaceous

Stage

Aptian

Found in

Quiricó Formation, Minas Gerais, Brazil

A titanosaurian sauropod; the type species is Tapuiasaurus macedoi. Its well-preserved skull is important for understanding titanosaur cranial anatomy. The exact age within the Early Cretaceous is somewhat uncertain.