Barapasaurus (Big-Legged Lizard)

Artwork credit: By Dmitry Bogdanov - dmitrchel@mail.ru, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2864545

Basic facts

  • 46 feet (14m) length

  • Early Jurassic

  • India

  • Herbivore

Barapasaurus is a genus of basal sauropod dinosaur found in Jurassic rock formations in India. The single species known is B. tagorei. Barapasaurus was discovered in the lower section of the Kota Formation, which dates back to the Early to Middle Jurassic period, making it one of the earliest known sauropods.

This dinosaur is remarkably well-represented in the fossil record, with approximately 300 bones from at least six individuals being unearthed. As a result, almost the entire skeleton is known, except for the anterior cervical vertebrae and the skull. This level of preservation makes Barapasaurus one of the most extensively studied and understood sauropods from the early Jurassic era.

Despite being an early and relatively unspecialized sauropod, Barapasaurus exhibits the characteristic blueprint seen in later, more advanced sauropods. Its cervical vertebrae were elongated, giving rise to a long neck, while the trunk remained short, supporting robust columnar limbs that indicate an obligate quadrupedal stance. Even its size, estimated to be around 12-14 meters in length and weighing approximately 7 tonnes, is comparable to that of later sauropods.

Only a limited number of skull remains are available, consisting of merely three complete teeth and three tooth crowns. Among these, the largest tooth measures 5.8 cm in height. Similar to later sauropods, the teeth of this species possess a spoon-shaped appearance and exhibit wrinkled enamel.