Barapasaurus

Say it like this: “buh-RAH-puh-SOR-uhs”

Barapasaurus tagorei

Barapasaurus ate plants and walked on four legs. It lived in the Early Jurassic. Bones have been found in India.

Quiz me on Barapasaurus

When: Early Jurassic (Sinemurian · Pliensbachian) · roughly 199.5 to 184.2 million years ago
Named in: 1975 · Jain, S. L.; Kutty, T. S.; Roy-Chowdhury, T.; Chatterjee, S.
Hip height: 3.3 m · 11 ft
Length: 14 m · 46 ft
Weight: 7 tonnes
Found in: India · Kota
Food and walking: Herbivore · Four legs
Kind: long-neck giant · Sauropod
Family branch: Sauropoda

The story in short

Barapasaurus was formally named in 1975 by S. L. Jain and colleagues. The name means “big-legged lizard.”

Fossils referred to Barapasaurus date to the Early Jurassic (Sinemurian · Pliensbachian), roughly 199.5 to 184.2 million years ago. Finds come from India, including the Kota Formation. It was a herbivore and walked on four legs.

Published estimates put Barapasaurus at a length near 14 m, hips about 3.3 m high, and a body mass around 7 tonnes.

On the family tree it sits in Sauropoda, among the sauropod dinosaurs.

Close relatives

Aepisaurus

Aepisaurus elephantinus

Early Cretaceous (Albian) · roughly 113.2 to 100.5 million years ago

Amygdalodon

Amygdalodon patagonicus

Early Jurassic (Pliensbachian · Toarcian) · roughly 192.9 to 174.7 million years ago

Archaeodontosaurus

Archaeodontosaurus descouensi

Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) · roughly 168.2 to 165.3 million years ago