The First Confirmed Dinosaur of the Ecuadorian Amazon

Researchers have documented the first confirmed dinosaur record from Ecuador’s Amazonian Oriente Basin, based on fossil remains recovered from the Tena Formation near the Napo River.

The specimen, informally known as “Wakrayampi,” has been identified as a titanosaur, a group of long-necked herbivorous dinosaurs that lived during the Late Cretaceous.

The finding adds a new layer to the scientific record of the Ecuadorian Amazon, a region better known today for its biodiversity, river systems and Indigenous cultures.

• The fossils were found in the Tena Formation.
• The discovery site is located near the Napo River.
• The specimen has been classified as a titanosaur.
• It represents the first documented dinosaur record from Ecuador’s Oriente Basin.

A prehistoric record in a living rainforest

The discovery shows that the Amazon landscape has been shaped by geological and ecological changes extending back millions of years. It also connects the region’s present-day forests with a much older natural history.

Further research on the remains may provide more detail about the dinosaur and the environment it inhabited, while the informal name Wakrayampi continues to distinguish the specimen during ongoing study.