[2] The Ibirania holotype specimen, LPP-PV-0200–0207, was discovered in layers of the São José do Rio Preto Formation on the Garcia Brothers Farm in Vila Ventura, Ibirá Municipality, northeastern São Paulo State, Brazil, which dates to the late Santonian to early Campanian ages of the late Cretaceous period.

The generic name, "Ibirania", combines a reference to Ibirá, the municipality where the specimens were discovered (also a Portuguese derivative of the Tupi word "ybyrá", meaning "tree", in reference to Ibirania's hypothesized browsing behavior), with "ania", a modified form of the Greek word "plania", meaning "wanderer".

The cladogram below displays the results of the phylogenetic analyses performed by Navarro et al. (2022):[1] Opisthocoelicaudiinae Alamosaurus Baurutitan Ibirania Bonatitan Rocasaurus Neuquensaurus

Aureliano et al. (2021) sampled histological thin sections of the lesion and described the step-by-step development of periosteal remodeling caused by the infection.

[1] It coexisted alongside other dinosaurs, such as the abelisaurid theropod Thanos simonattoi and a larger, unnamed probable megaraptoran,[5] as well as an indeterminate notosuchian.