Yamanasaurus is an extinct type of dinosaur that lived around 66.9 million years ago during a time called the Maastrichtian epoch of the Cretaceous period.
This dinosaur was discovered in Ecuador, specifically in the Río Playas Formation. It is known for being the first non-bird dinosaur found in Ecuador. The scientific name for Yamanasaurus is based on where the bones were found, near Yamana, and its species name, lojaensis, refers to the town of Loja where the research was done.
Yamanasaurus was a relatively small dinosaur for its kind, measuring about 20 feet long. It walked on four legs with a strong, chunky body, a long neck and tail, and a small head. Unlike many larger sauropods, Yamanasaurus had a shorter neck and was smaller in size. It likely had skin armor made of bone to protect itself, similar to other dinosaurs in its group.
The discovery of Yamanasaurus happened in 2017. A local man named Francisco Celi found a bone while exploring the area and shared it with a professor and some students. They studied the bones and confirmed they were from the late Cretaceous period, just before the meteor that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Overall, Yamanasaurus is an important find that helps us learn more about dinosaurs that lived in South America!