Volkheimeria

Volkheimer's (genus), named for Wolfgang Volkheimer

• Volkheimer · German (surname) · Wolfgang Volkheimer, Argentine geologist
• -ia · Latin · suffix forming a genus name, 'pertaining to'

Volkheimeria honours Wolfgang Volkheimer, an Argentine geologist and palaeontologist who studied the geology of Patagonia. The name is his surname plus the Latin suffix -ia, meaning "Volkheimer's (thing)". It was given to a sauropod from the Middle Jurassic of Chubut Province, Argentina.

Named by

Bonaparte

Year named

1979

Period

Middle Jurassic

Stage

Callovian

Found in

Cañadón Asfalto Formation, Chubut Province, Patagonia, Argentina

A sauropod; the type species is V. chubutensis. It is known from fragmentary material, and its status is debated. Some researchers have suggested it is a doubtful name or a possible synonym of the related sauropod Patagosaurus. The geologic stage is approximate, because the age of the Cañadón Asfalto Formation has been debated.