Amanasaurus
Amanasaurus is a genus of silesaurid dinosauriforms from the Late Triassic Santa Maria Supersequence of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The genus contains a single species, A. nesbitti, known from two partial femora.
Discovery and naming
The Amanasaurus holotype specimen, CAPPA/UFSM 0374, was discovered in the Hyperodapedon Assemblage Zone of the Santa Maria Supersequence of the Paraná Basin, dated to the late Carnian stage of the Late Triassic. It consists of a proximal right femur. CAPPA/UFSM 0375, a distal left femur belonging to a larger individual from the same locality, was also referred to Amanasaurus.In 2023, Müller & Garcia announced Amanasaurus nesbitti as a new genus and species of silesaurid based on these remains. The generic name, "Amanasaurus", combines the Tupi word "amana", meaning "rain", with the Greek "saurus", meaning "lizard", in reference to the Carnian pluvial episode. The specific name, "nesbitti", honors North American paleontologist Sterling J. Nesbitt.
The original publication describing Amanasaurus nesbitti did not fulfill the requirements of the ICZN. As such, Müller & Garcia published a correction the following year, finalizing the taxon name.