Pronunciation: pet-RO-brah-SOR-us
Meaning: Petrobras lizard
Author/s: Filippi et al. (2011)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Neuquén, Argentina
Discovery Chart Position: #770
Petrobrasaurus puestohernandezi
(Petrobras oil company lizard)Etymology
Petrobrasaurus is derived from "Petrobras" (for the
Petrobras oil company, in recognition of its constant collaboration in
the maintenance and preservation of the palaeontological
heritage in the area of Rincón de los Sauces) and the Greek "sauros" (lizard).
The species epithet, puestohernandezi, refers to the Puesto Hernández oil field.
Discovery
The remains of Petrobrasaurus were discovered in the vicinity of the "PH
1597" oil well, in the Plottier Formation 25km to the north-west of the city
of Rincón de Los Sauces, Neuquén, Patagonia, Argentina, as part of a cooperative
project between the Museum of Rincón de Los Sauces, the Universidad El Comahue (Argentina) and the Universidad de Zaragoza (Spain) between autumn (aka fall) 2006 and spring 2007.
The fossils were scattered over a sixty square meter area, and no pieces were repeated which suggests they all belong to a single specimen. Five teeth from a scavenging theropod were found mingled with the remains.
The holotype (MAU-Pv-PH-449/1-37) includes two pencil-like teeth (probably replacements as they lacked signs of wear on the surface), upper and lower arm and leg bones from the left and right side, a hip bone, some toes, and other bits and bobs.
