Lumbrerasaurus

The genus and species Lumbrerasaurus scagliai were named by Oscar E. Donadío in 1985, based on fossils from the Lumbrera Formation of Salta Province, Argentina.^[2] The Lumbrera Formation is the upper unit of the Santa Bárbara Subgroup of the Salta Group in northwestern Argentina.^[3]

The described material was collected during a joint field expedition of the Museo de La Plata (MLP) and the Museo Municipal de Ciencias Naturales "Lorenzo Scaglia" (MMP) in 1979. The fossils were recovered from a canyon between the Bordo and Toro rivers near Pampa Grande and were reported as coming from a level about 5 metres (16 ft) below "Faja Verde I" within the lower part of the Lumbrera Formation. The remains were described as closely associated and representing a single individual.^[1]

Donadío (1985) originally described Lumbrerasaurus scagliai as a teiid lizard and placed it within Tupinambinae.^[2] While these affinities have not been extensively questioned, some authors questioned whether the genus was adequately diagnosed, and considered Lumbrerasaurus to be a nomen dubium.^[4] Subsequent research has regarded it as valid and distinct taxon.^[1]