List of Indian and Madagascan dinosaurs

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Globe showing union of India and Madacascar, approx 100 Mya 100 global.png
Globe showing union of India and Madacascar, approx 100 Mya

This is a list of non-avian dinosaurs whose remains have been recovered from the India n subcontinent or Madagascar . Though widely separated today, the Indian subcontinent and Madagascar were connected throughout much of the Mesozoic and shared similar dinosaur faunas, distinct from what has been found on other modern African and Asian landmasses.

Contents

The Indian fossil record of dinosaurs is good, with fossils coming from the entire Mesozoic era – starting with the Triassic period (a geological period that started 251.9 million years ago and continued till 201.3 million years ago), to the Jurassic period (201 million years ago to 145 million years ago) and Cretaceous period (from 145 million years ago to 66 million years ago), when globally all non-avian dinosaurs and 65 per cent of all life became extinct. Madagascar also preserves various unique dinosaurs from the Jurassic and Cretaceous.

Criteria for inclusion

List of Indian and Madagascan dinosaurs

Valid genera

NameYearFormationLocationNotesImages
Alwalkeria 1994 Lower Maleri Formation (Late Triassic, Carnian)Flag of India.svg  India Possessed different types of teeth in its upper jaw Alwalkeria maleriensis.jpg
Archaeodontosaurus 2005 Isalo III Formation (Middle Jurassic, Bajocian to Bathonian)Flag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar Retained "prosauropod"-like teeth despite its late age Archaeodontosaurus LM.png
Barapasaurus 1975 Kota Formation (Early Jurassic, Sinemurian to Pliensbachian)Flag of India.svg  India Several individuals have been found associated with tree trunks, which may represent the aftermath of a flood [1] Barapasaurus DB.jpg
Brachypodosaurus 1934 Lameta Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian)Flag of India.svg  India Has been suggested to be a thyreophoran, but such an identification is unlikely
Bruhathkayosaurus 1987 Kallamedu Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian)Flag of India.svg  India Reportedly exceptionally large but its fossils have been lost. [2] Its bones have been informally speculated to be misidentified tree trunks [3] [4] [5] but later research suggests at least the tibia is real [6] Bruhathkayosaurus matleyi updated.png
Coeluroides 1933 Lameta Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian)Flag of India.svg  India Potentially synonymous with Ornithomimoides [7] Coeluroides largus.jpg
Compsosuchus 1933 Lameta Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian)Flag of India.svg  India Has been suggested to be both an abelisaurid [8] and a noasaurid [9] Compsosuchus solus.jpg
Dahalokely 2013 Ambolafotsy Formation (Late Cretaceous, Turonian)Flag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar Shares features of both abelisaurids and noasaurids Dahalokely.png
Dandakosaurus 1982 Kota Formation (Early Jurassic, Pliensbachian to Toarcian)Flag of India.svg  India Poorly known but large for an early theropod Dandakosaurus.png
Dryptosauroides 1932 Lameta Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian)Flag of India.svg  India Only known from six caudal vertebrae Dryptosauroides grandis.jpg
Indosaurus 1933 Lameta Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian)Flag of India.svg  India Had a characteristically thickened skull Indosaurus.jpg
Indosuchus 1933 Lameta Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian)Flag of India.svg  India Its skull was flattened and topped by a short crest Indosuchus.jpg
Isisaurus 2003 Lameta Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian)Flag of India.svg  India Unusually proportioned with a short, robust neck and long limbs Isisaurus colberti reconstruction.png
Jainosaurus 1995 Lameta Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian)Flag of India.svg  India Originally named as a species of Antarctosaurus Jainosaurus septentrionalis life restoration.png
Jaklapallisaurus 2011 Upper Maleri Formation (Late Triassic, Norian to Rhaetian)Flag of India.svg  India May have been closely related to South American sauropodomorphs [10]
Jubbulpuria 1933 Lameta Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian)Flag of India.svg  India Poorly known Jubbulpuria.jpg
Kotasaurus 1988 Kota Formation (Early Jurassic, Sinemurian to Pliensbachian)Flag of India.svg  India The neural spines of its vertebrae were massively constructed, a basal trait 160-million-year-old mounted dinosaur skeleton.jpg
Laevisuchus 1933 Lameta Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian)Flag of India.svg  India Only known from three vertebrae but can confidently be assigned to Noasauridae [11] Laevisuchus cervical vertebra.png
Lametasaurus 1923 Lameta Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian)Flag of India.svg  India Described based on now-lost remains, it is currently seen as a possible chimera including theropod material and osteoderms of uncertain origin
Lamplughsaura 2007 Dharmaram Formation (Early Jurassic, Sinemurian)Flag of India.svg  India Large and robustly built Lamplughsaura BW.jpg
Lapparentosaurus 1986 Isalo III Formation (Middle Jurassic, Bajocian to Bathonian)Flag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar Relatively fast-growing as evidenced by the preservation of a large amount of fibrolamellar bone [12] Lapparentosaurus femur.png
Majungasaurus 1955 Maevarano Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian)Flag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar Bite marks on several specimens have been found that perfectly match the teeth of this genus, suggesting cannibalistic tendencies [13] Majungasaurus size reference.png
Masiakasaurus 2001 Maevarano Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian)Flag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar Possessed procumbent teeth at the tips of its jaws which may indicate a feeding specialization Masiakosaurus skull FMNH.jpg
Nambalia 2011 Upper Maleri Formation (Late Triassic, Norian to Rhaetian)Flag of India.svg  India Known from the remains of two individuals
Narindasaurus 2020 Isalo III Formation (Middle Jurassic, Bathonian to Callovian)Flag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar The oldest known turiasaur Lapparentosaurus madagascariensis left pubis.jpg
Ornithomimoides 1932 Lameta Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian)Flag of India.svg  India Two species have been named, both from isolated vertebrae Ornithomimoides mobilis.jpg
Orthogoniosaurus 1931 Lameta Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian)Flag of India.svg  India Only known from a single, fragmentary tooth
Pradhania 2007 Dharmaram Formation (Early Jurassic, Sinemurian)Flag of India.svg  India Closely related to Massospondylus [14] Pradhania.png
Rahiolisaurus 2010 Lameta Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian)Flag of India.svg  India Remains of multiple growth stages are known Rahiolisaurus restoration.png
Rajasaurus 2003 Lameta Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian)Flag of India.svg  India Possessed a single, short horn on its forehead that may have been used for display and head-butting [15] Rajasaurus restoration.jpg
Rapetosaurus 2001 Maevarano Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian)Flag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar Known from almost the entire skeleton, including the skull Rapetosaurus Scale.svg
Tharosaurus 2023 Jaisalmer Formation (Middle Jurassic, Bathonian)Flag of India.svg  India The oldest dicraeosaurid, diplodocoid, and neosauropod currently known Tharosaurus UDL.png
Titanosaurus 1877 Lameta Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian)Flag of India.svg  India Although only known from a few bones, this genus is the namesake of the Titanosauria and the Titanosauriformes Titanosaurus.jpg
Vahiny 2014 Maevarano Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian)Flag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar May have been a rare component of its habitat due to the paucity of its remains

Invalid and potentially valid genera

Timeline

This is a timeline of selected dinosaurs from the list above. Time is measured in Ma, megaannum, along the x-axis.

MesozoicTriassicJurassicCretaceousVahinyRapetosaurusRajasaurusRahonavisRahiolisaurusOrthogoniosaurusOrnithomimoidesMajungasaurusLaevisuchusJubbulpuriaJainosaurusIsisaurusIndosuchusIndosaurusDryptosauridesCompsosuchusCoeluroidesBrachypodosaurusBruhathkayosaurusMasiakasaurusDravidosaurusNarindasaurusLapparentosaurusDandakosaurusBarapasaurusKotasaurusArchaeodontosaurusLamplughsauraPradhaniaAlwalkeriaMesozoicTriassicJurassicCretaceousList of Indian and Madagascan dinosaurs

See also

Related Research Articles

The Mesozoic Era is the penultimate era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about 252 to 66 million years ago, comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods. It is characterized by the dominance of gymnosperms and of archosaurian reptiles, such as the dinosaurs; a hot greenhouse climate; and the tectonic break-up of Pangaea. The Mesozoic is the middle of the three eras since complex life evolved: the Paleozoic, the Mesozoic, and the Cenozoic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theropoda</span> Clade of dinosaurs

Theropoda (; from ancient Greek θηρίο-ποδός [θηρίον, "wild beast"; πούς, ποδός "foot"] whose members are known as theropods, is a dinosaur clade that is characterized by hollow bones and three toes and claws on each limb. Theropods are generally classed as a group of saurischian dinosaurs. They were ancestrally carnivorous, although a number of theropod groups evolved to become herbivores and omnivores. Theropods first appeared during the Carnian age of the late Triassic period 231.4 million years ago and included the majority of large terrestrial carnivores from the Early Jurassic until at least the close of the Cretaceous, about 66 Ma. In the Jurassic, birds evolved from small specialized coelurosaurian theropods, and are today represented by about 11,000 living species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coelurosauria</span> Clade of dinosaurs

Coelurosauria is the clade containing all theropod dinosaurs more closely related to birds than to carnosaurs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ceratosauria</span> Extinct clade of dinosaurs

Ceratosaurs are members of the clade Ceratosauria, a group of dinosaurs defined as all theropods sharing a more recent common ancestor with Ceratosaurus than with birds. The oldest known ceratosaur, Saltriovenator, dates to the earliest part of the Jurassic, around 199 million years ago. Ceratosauria includes three major clades: Ceratosauridae, Noasauridae, and Abelisauridae, found primarily in the Southern Hemisphere. Originally, Ceratosauria included the above dinosaurs plus the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic Coelophysoidea and Dilophosauridae, implying a much earlier divergence of ceratosaurs from other theropods. However, most recent studies have shown that coelophysoids and dilophosaurids do not form a natural group with other ceratosaurs, and are excluded from this group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tetanurae</span> Clade containing most theropod dinosaurs

Tetanurae is a clade that includes most theropod dinosaurs, including megalosauroids, allosauroids, tyrannosauroids, ornithomimosaurs, compsognathids and maniraptorans. Tetanurans are defined as all theropods more closely related to modern birds than to Ceratosaurus and contain the majority of predatory dinosaur diversity. Tetanurae likely diverged from its sister group, Ceratosauria, during the late Triassic. Tetanurae first appeared in the fossil record by the Early Jurassic about 190 mya and by the Middle Jurassic had become globally distributed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coelophysoidea</span> Extinct superfamily of dinosaurs

Coelophysoidea is an extinct clade of theropod dinosaurs common during the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic periods. They were widespread geographically, probably living on all continents. Coelophysoids were all slender, carnivorous forms with a superficial similarity to the coelurosaurs, with which they were formerly classified, and some species had delicate cranial crests. Sizes range from about 1 to 6 m in length. It is unknown what kind of external covering coelophysoids had, and various artists have portrayed them as either scaly or feathered. Some species may have lived in packs, as inferred from sites where numerous individuals have been found together.

<i>Masiakasaurus</i> Noasaurid theropod dinosaur genus from the Late Cretaceous period

Masiakasaurus is a genus of small predatory noasaurid theropod dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar. In Malagasy, masiaka means "vicious"; thus, the genus name means "vicious lizard". The type species, Masiakasaurus knopfleri, was named after the musician Mark Knopfler, whose music inspired the expedition crew. It was named in 2001 by Scott D. Sampson, Matthew Carrano, and Catherine A. Forster. Unlike most theropods, the front teeth of M. knopfleri projected forward instead of straight down. This unique dentition suggests that they had a specialized diet, perhaps including fish and other small prey. Other bones of the skeleton indicate that Masiakasaurus were bipedal, with much shorter forelimbs than hindlimbs. M. knopfleri was a small theropod, reaching 1.8–2.1 m (5.9–6.9 ft) long and weighing 20 kg (44 lb).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abelisauridae</span> Extinct family of dinosaurs

Abelisauridae is a family of ceratosaurian theropod dinosaurs. Abelisaurids thrived during the Cretaceous period, on the ancient southern supercontinent of Gondwana, and today their fossil remains are found on the modern continents of Africa and South America, as well as on the Indian subcontinent and the island of Madagascar. Isolated teeth were found in the Late Jurassic of Portugal, and the Late Cretaceous genera Tarascosaurus and Arcovenator have been described in France. Abelisaurids possibly first appeared during the Jurassic period based on fossil records, and some genera survived until the end of the Mesozoic era, around 66 million years ago.

<i>Rahonavis</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Rahonavis is a genus of bird-like theropod from the Late Cretaceous of what is now northwestern Madagascar. It is known from a partial skeleton found by Catherine Forster and colleagues in Maevarano Formation rocks at a quarry near Berivotra, Mahajanga Province. Rahonavis was a small predator, at about 70 centimetres (2.3 ft) long and 0.45-2.27 kg, with the typical dromaesaurid-like raised sickle claw on the second toe. It was originally the first African coelurosaur until the discovery of Nqwebasaurus in 2000.

<i>Dravidosaurus</i> Extinct species of reptile

Dravidosaurus is a controversial taxon of Late Cretaceous reptiles, variously interpreted as either a ornithischian dinosaur or a plesiosaur. The genus contains a single species, D. blanfordi, known from mostly poorly preserved fossils from the Coniacian of southern India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megalosauridae</span> Extinct family of dinosaurs

Megalosauridae is a monophyletic family of carnivorous theropod dinosaurs within the group Megalosauroidea. Appearing in the Middle Jurassic, megalosaurids were among the first major radiation of large theropod dinosaurs. They were a relatively primitive group of basal tetanurans containing two main subfamilies, Megalosaurinae and Afrovenatorinae, along with the basal genus Eustreptospondylus, an unresolved taxon which differs from both subfamilies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stegosauria</span> Extinct clade of dinosaurs

Stegosauria is a group of herbivorous ornithischian dinosaurs that lived during the Jurassic and early Cretaceous periods. Stegosaurian fossils have been found mostly in the Northern Hemisphere, predominantly in what is now North America, Europe, Africa, South America and Asia. Their geographical origins are unclear; the earliest unequivocal stegosaurian, Bashanosaurus primitivus, was found in the Bathonian Shaximiao Formation of China.

Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have encountered fossils for millennia, paleontology has a long history both before and after becoming formalized as a science. This article records significant discoveries and events related to paleontology that occurred or were published in the year 2001.

The Kota Formation is a geological formation in India. The age of the Kota Formation is uncertain; it is commonly considered to date to the Early Jurassic, but some studies have suggested it may extend into the Middle Jurassic or even later. It conformably overlies the Lower Jurassic Upper Dharmaram Formation and is unconformably overlain by the Lower Cretaceous Gangapur Formation. It is split into a Lower Member and Upper Member. The Lower Member is approximately 100 m thick while the Upper Member is 490 m thick. Both subunits primarily consist of mudstone and sandstone, but near the base of the upper unit there is a 20-30 metre thick succession of limestone deposited in a freshwater setting.

The Balabansai Formation is a geological formation in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan whose strata date back to the Bathonian and Callovian stages of the Middle Jurassic. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation. The lithology primarily consists of variegated sandstones, siltstones, claystones, and rare gravels and marls. Many taxa have been found in the formation, including amphibians and mammals.

Deltapodus is an ichnogenus of footprint produced by a stegosaurian dinosaur According to the main Stegosauria article:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jurassic Museum of Asturias</span> Museum in Asturias, Spain

The Jurassic Museum of Asturias is located in the area of Rasa de San Telmo near the parish of Llastres in the municipality of Colunga, Asturias, Spain. Though the municipality of Ribadesella was initially proposed, Colunga was chosen for the building site in the late 1990s. Several landmarks are visible from the museum including the Bay of Biscay, the Sierra del Sueve, and the Picos de Europa. Strategically located over a mount on the Rasa de San Temo, the museum is in the midst the Jurassic Asturias.

<i>Megapnosaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaur

Megapnosaurus is an extinct genus of coelophysid theropod dinosaur that lived approximately 188 million years ago during the early part of the Jurassic Period in what is now Africa. The species was a small to medium-sized, lightly built, ground-dwelling, bipedal carnivore, that could grow up to 2.2 m (7.2 ft) long and weigh up to 13 kg (29 lb).

References

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