Buzz
Barapasaurus tagorsi, discovered by Brian FranczakBARAPASAURUS (pronounced bah-RAP-ah-SORE-us)
Period: Late Triassic
Order, Suborder, Family: Saurischia, Sauropodomorpha, Cetiosauridae
Location: Asia (India)
Length: 49 1/2 feet (15 meters)
Barapasaurus, named after a term meaning 'big leg' in a regional dialect from central India, is the earliest known sauropod dinosaur. Early Jurassic sauropods are quite rare. It's possible that sauropods evolved from a prosauropod ancestor, and Barapasaurus shows that even the earliest sauropods were colossal.
Barapasaurus coexisted with the last prosauropod dinosaurs. While it shared some traits with the prosauropods, it was more advanced in many ways. However, its vertebrae, pelvis, and impressive size confirm its classification as a sauropod. Almost as large as Diplodocus, a later sauropod from North America, Barapasaurus was likely a herbivore, using its long neck to feed on tree leaves.
Barapasaurus is the only dinosaur in India with a mounted skeleton, as dinosaur fossils are rare in the region. The skeleton primarily consists of leg bones and vertebrae. While the skull wasn't recovered, several teeth were found nearby. These spoon-shaped teeth were likely the front teeth used for cropping plants, while the larger, flatter teeth were probably adapted for cutting or crushing food.
Barapasaurus' relatives include Cetiosaurus from northern Africa and England, Patagosaurus and Volkheimeria from southern South America, Amygdalodon from Argentina, Lapparentosaurus from Madagascar, and possibly Rhoetosaurus from Australia. The descendants of Barapasaurus and its relatives came to dominate the Jurassic period.
