It was subsequently announced in a preprint in October 2021,[2] and validly described as a new genus and species of lizard by Čerňanský et al. in January 2022.

[1] The fossil was discovered in the Hkamti amber site of Myanmar, which dates to the early Albian, approximately 110 million years ago.

The holotype, which represents a juvenile individual, includes a well-preserved articulated skull, partial postcrania, and skin impressions.

[1] The generic name, "Retinosaurus", is derived from the Greek words "retine", referring to liquid resins created by trees, and "saurus", meaning "lizard".

Because the holotype represents an immature individual, the authors explain that any phylogenetic results should be treated with caution.