Tambaryu Gets a Scientific Name: Tambatitanis amicitiae
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The sauropodomorph titanosaur discovered in Tamba City, Hyogo Prefecture in 2006 has been identified as a new genus and species.
The dinosaur, affectionately known as "Tambaryu," has been given the scientific name "Tambatitanis amicitiae."
The name is derived from "Tamba," the discovery location; "Titanis," a giantess from Greek mythology; and "amicitiae," the Latin word for friendship.
This is the sixth time a dinosaur discovered in Japan has been given a scientific name, including Nipponosaurus (found in southern Sakhalin, now part of Russia).
Since the ribs of Tambaryu, or Tambatitanis amicitiae, were found in 2006, repeated excavation surveys have been conducted in the Sasayama Group strata of Tamba City, Hyogo Prefecture.
In these excavations, teeth of carnivorous dinosaurs and other fossils have also been newly discovered.