They were collected from the Triassic Lower Elliot Formation, dating to the early Norian, on the north slope of the Thaba 'Nyama (Black Mountain) in Transkei, South Africa.

[2] However, this specimen comes from the Upper Elliot, unlike the Melanorosaurus type material and NM QR1551, rendering its referral to the genus untenable.

[5] Melanorosaurus thabanensis was named in 1993 by Gauffre, based on holotype MNHN LES-16, a femur found in the Upper Triassic lower Elliot Formation.

[6] However, a recent review of the material demonstrated that the femur, along with six other bones, can't be referred to the genus Melanorosaurus, and a new combination (Meroktenos thabanensis) was created.

[8] The following cladogram shows the position of Melanorosaurus within Massopoda, according to Oliver W. M. Rauhut and colleagues, 2020:[9] Eucnemesaurus Riojasaurus Sarahsaurus Yunnanosaurus Jingshanosaurus Seitaad Coloradisaurus Glacialisaurus Lufengosaurus Massospondylus Adeopapposaurus Leyesaurus Xingxiulong Anchisaurus Leonerasaurus Mussaurus Aardonyx Sefapanosaurus Meroktenos Melanorosaurus Camelotia Lessemsaurus Antetonitrus Ingentia Blikanasaurus Pulanesaura Gongxianosaurus Schleitheimia Isanosaurus Tazoudasaurus Sauropoda