Pronunciation: LAHM-plu-SOR-uh
Meaning: Lamplugh lizard
Author/s: Kutty et al. (2007)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Andhra Pradesh, India
Discovery Chart Position: #614
Lamplughsaura dharmaramensis
Lamplughsaura was discovered in the same place at the same time and named in the same paper as fellow sauropodomorph Pradhania gracilis. Palaeontologists resisted the temptation to lump them together, mainly because the latter is known only from a lump of thighbone and based on a like-for-like upscale of compareable parts the former is a good six meters longer!
Based on the remains of four individuals, scientists have deduced that Lamplughsaura belongs to Massospondyidae: a group of primitive sauropodomorphs closely related to Massospondylus. It is heavily built and quadrupedal (it walked on all fours), and will be one of the most completely known sauropodomorphs when someone finds the time to study and describe it fully. It may turn out to be a "proper" sauropod.
Based on the remains of four individuals, scientists have deduced that Lamplughsaura belongs to Massospondyidae: a group of primitive sauropodomorphs closely related to Massospondylus. It is heavily built and quadrupedal (it walked on all fours), and will be one of the most completely known sauropodomorphs when someone finds the time to study and describe it fully. It may turn out to be a "proper" sauropod.
Etymology
Lamplughsaura is derived from "Lamplugh" (middle name of the late Pamela Lamplugh
Robinson, founder of the Indian Statistical Institute whose members discovered these fossils) and "saura" (feminine form of the Greek suffix "sauros", meaning "lizard"). The species epithet, dharmaramensis, refers to the formation in which it was discovered.
Discovery
The remains of Lamplughsaura were discovered in the Dharmaram Formation, just North of Krishnapur village in the Adilabad District of Andhra Pradesh, southern India.The holotype (ISI R257) is the partial skeleton of a subadult individual.
Preparators
Dhuiya Pradhan of the Indian Statistical Institute.
