Open Paleo

Amanzia

Schwarz et al., 2020 am-an-zee-uh

Named for Swiss geologist Amanz Gressly, who is associated with the geological work in the region where the specimen was found.

154.8–149.2 million years ago Kimmeridgian, Late Jurassic
Late Jurassic stages

Amanzia is a genus of turiasaurian sauropod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic Reuchenette Formation in Moutier, Switzerland. The type and only species is Amanzia greppini, originally named as a species of Ornithopsis and Cetiosauriscus.

Under dispute

Amanzia is recovered as a non-neosauropodan eusauropod, as the sister of Neosauropoda under equal weights and within Turiasauria, as the sister of Zby, under implied weights (Schwarz and colleagues, 2020); both results are weakly supported.

Diagnosis

  1. Lateral fossa at the base of the prezygapophyseal process in middle cervical vertebrae
  2. Rugosity on the medial margin of the posterior surface of the humerus, level with the deltopectoral crest (autapomorphy)
  3. Rugosity on the lateral margin of the posterior surface of the humerus, level with the deltopectoral crest
  4. Fibular condyle of femur much broader than tibial condyle
  5. Shaft of fibula sinuous in lateral view

Species

Amanzia greppini Schwarz et al., 2020

Type species

Named for geologist Jean-Baptiste Greppin, who acquired and preserved the original fossil material by adding it to the collection of the Naturhistorisches Museum Basel.

Syntypes
NMB M.H. 239, NMB M.H. 245, NMB M.H. 246, NMB M.H. 252, NMB M.H. 253, NMB M.H. 254, NMB M.H. 258, NMB M.H. 259, NMB M.H. 260, NMB M.H. 262, NMB M.H. 264, NMB M.H. 265, NMB M.H. 266, NMB M.H. 267, NMB M.H. 268, NMB M.H. 269, NMB M.H. 270, NMB M.H. 271, NMB M.H. 275, NMB M.H. 276, NMB M.H. 277, NMB M.H. 278, NMB M.H. 279, NMB M.H. 280, NMB M.H. 282, NMB M.H. 284, NMB M.H. 285, NMB M.H. 286, NMB M.H. 291, NMB M.H. 297, NMB M.H. 300, NMB M.H. 306, NMB M.H. 324, NMB M.H. 332, NMB M.H. 339, NMB M.H. 340, NMB M.H. 341, NMB M.H. 342, NMB M.H. 344, NMB M.H. 345, NMB M.H. 346, NMB M.H. 347, NMB M.H. 349, NMB M.H. 353, NMB M.H. 354, NMB M.H. 355, NMB M.H. 358, NMB M.H. 359, NMB M.H. 368, NMB M.H. 369, NMB M.H. 370, NMB M.H. 372, NMB M.H. 373, NMB M.H. 374, NMB M.H. 386, NMB M.H. 387 , Naturhistorisches Museum
Material
Syntype series (no holotype designated): postcranial bones of at least four individuals — cervical and caudal vertebrae, dorsal ribs, scapulae, coracoid, humeri, ulnae, radius, pubes, ischium, femora, tibiae, fibulae, and ungual phalanges
Horizon
lower Reuchenette Formation, Kimmeridgian, Late Jurassic , 154.8–149.2 million years ago
Locality
Basse Montagne Quarry, Moutier, Bern, Switzerland

References

  1. Schwarz, D.; Mannion, P. D.; Wings, O.; Meyer, C. A. (2020). Re-description of the sauropod dinosaur Amanzia ("Ornithopsis/Cetiosauriscus") greppini n. gen. and other vertebrate remains from the Kimmeridgian (Late Jurassic) Reuchenette Formation of Moutier, Switzerland. Swiss Journal of Geosciences 113(1). Pensoft Publishers. doi:10.1186/s00015-020-00355-5

    Named Amanzia and recovered it as the sister of Neosauropoda under equal weights, and of Zby within Turiasauria under implied weights.

    schwarz2020a
  2. Paul, G. S. (2024). The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs (3rd ed.). Princeton University Press.

    Source of the body length and mass estimates.

    paul2024a
  3. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Sauropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the hip height estimate.

    jones2026b