Lamplughsaura

Lamplughsaura Temporal range: Early Jurassic, Sinemurian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Reconstruction
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Clade:	Dinosauria
Clade:	Saurischia
Clade:	† Sauropodomorpha
Clade:	† Anchisauria
Genus:	† Lamplughsaura Kutty et al., 2007
Type species
†Lamplughsaura dharmaramensis Kutty et al., 2007

Lamplughsaura is a genus of sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Sinemurian-aged (Early Jurassic) Dharmaram Formation of India, dating from between 196 and 190 million years ago. The type and only species is Lamplughsaura dharmaramensis. It is known from several partial skeletons of a large quadrupedal animal up to 10 metres (33 ft) long, and was either a basal sauropod or, less likely, a more basal sauropodomorph. ^[1]

Discovery and naming

The holotype and other two referred specimens of Lamplughsaura were discovered by Tharavati S. Kutty in 1972 from rocks of the Pranhita–Godavari Basin that date to the Sinemurian age of Early Jurassic epoch. ^[1]

Later in 2007, he and his colleagues described the remains as a new genus and species of sauropodomorph, Lamplughsaura dharmaramensis. The generic name is after Pamela Lamplugh Robinson, founder of the Geological Studies Unit at Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, to emphasize the name they used "saura", which is the feminine suffix of the Greek word "saurus". The specific name is after the Dharmaram Formation. ^[1]

Description

Lamplughsaura is said to be a large heavily built sauropodomorph with the largest known specimen reaching 10 metres overall length. The skull of the Lamplughsaura is 27 cm long, 15.6 cm wide at the postorbital region, and 14 cm high, which is significantly larger than the skulls of Plateosaurus and Riojasaurus , but smaller than the skull of Lishulong , which is 40 cm long. ^[1]

It can be distinguished from other sauropodomorphs as the teeth possessing coarse denticles are present on mesial edges in small amount or are completely absent, the caudal region of cervical vertebrae has a vertically oriented ligamentous furrow on cranial and caudal surfaces with the spine table being transversely expanded, caudal neural spines are shorter than the transverse processes resulting in the neural spines disappearing as you move towards the tip of the tail, caudal neural spines also have a craniodorsally directed spur (proximal caudal vertebrae) or a distinct process (midcaudal vertebrae), the descending caudal flanges of the tibial distal end cover 66% of the transverse width of the ankle, the ungual phalanx of the manual digit I is plesiomorphic as it has a general shape that tapers gradually towards the tip and is not received. ^[1]

Ontogeny

The cranial elements of Lamplughsaura were discovered in a disarticulated position, which suggests skeletal immaturity, although the neural central of the caudal vertebrae are fused which suggests that the specimens come from subadult individuals. ^[1]

Classification

Lamplughsaura is classified either as a basal sauropod or a basal sauropodomorph. ^[1]

Paleoecology

Lamplughsaura is known from the Early Jurassic of the Upper Dharmaram Formation, where it likely competed with a fellow sauropodomorph, Pradhania gracilis, and was likely preyed upon by an indeterminate Dilophosaurus -like theropod. ^[1]

References

1. Kutty, T.S.; Chatterjee, S.; Galton, P.M.; Upchurch, P. (2007). "Basal sauropodomorphs (Dinosauria: Saurischia) from the Lower Jurassic of India: their anatomy and relationships". Journal of Paleontology. 81 (6): 1552–1574. doi:10.1666/04-074.1.