Barapasaurus
Encyclopedia
Barapasaurus is a genus
of sauropod dinosaur
from Early Jurassic
rocks of India
. The specific name for its only species
, B. tagorei, means 'Tagore's', which honors Bengali poet, writer, painter, and musician Rabindranath Tagore
.
Barapasaurus is of interest because it one of the earliest known sauropod, dating from the early Jurassic
period — more precisely the Toarcian
age
, about 189.6 to 176.5 million years ago. This is evident in the unspecialized nature of its form. Later sauropods like Brachiosaurus
developed their own ecological niche
s and feeding strategies. However, Barapasaurus was something of an "all-purpose" dinosaur. For example, later sauropods developed hollow vertebrae, as a weight-saving measure. Barapasaurus vertebrae, on the other hand, were almost solid, with only the earliest hints of hollowing. (See also: Camarasaurus
.)
Despite its early place in dinosaur history, Barapasaurus reached a length of about 18 metres (59.1 ft), and weighed about 48 tonnes (52.9 ST). Its height to the hip was approximately 5.5 metres (18 ft).
. However, no skull has yet been recovered and so its exact diet has not been determined. A few lone teeth are known but not sufficient to make judgments on diet.
rather than, as was previously the case, the Cetiosauridae, another family in Sauropoda
. This classification is unconfirmed since insufficient work has been done on the skeleton
s. The description is justified by the narrow sacrum
(the hip vertebrae), which is a characteristic of vulcanodontids. However, the back vertebrae display features shared with Cetiosauridae, such as a high neural arch above the vertebral foramen
.
Currently the only known species is the type species
B. tagorei.
Since then, five additional skeletons have been recovered from the Godavari Valley in southern India. However, none of these included the skull or feet, and little work has yet been published regarding these discoveries.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of sauropod dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
from Early Jurassic
Early Jurassic
The Early Jurassic epoch is the earliest of three epochs of the Jurassic period...
rocks of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The specific name for its only species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
, B. tagorei, means 'Tagore's', which honors Bengali poet, writer, painter, and musician Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
.
Description
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
period — more precisely the Toarcian
Toarcian
The Toarcian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, an age or stage in the Early or Lower Jurassic. It spans the time between 183.0 Ma and 175.6 Ma...
age
Faunal stage
In chronostratigraphy, a stage is a succession of rock strata laid down in a single age on the geologic timescale, which usually represents millions of years of deposition. A given stage of rock and the corresponding age of time will by convention have the same name, and the same boundaries.Rock...
, about 189.6 to 176.5 million years ago. This is evident in the unspecialized nature of its form. Later sauropods like Brachiosaurus
Brachiosaurus
Brachiosaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Jurassic Morrison Formation of North America. It was first described by Elmer S. Riggs in 1903 from fossils found in the Grand River Canyon of western Colorado, in the United States. Riggs named the dinosaur Brachiosaurus altithorax,...
developed their own ecological niche
Ecological niche
In ecology, a niche is a term describing the relational position of a species or population in its ecosystem to each other; e.g. a dolphin could potentially be in another ecological niche from one that travels in a different pod if the members of these pods utilize significantly different food...
s and feeding strategies. However, Barapasaurus was something of an "all-purpose" dinosaur. For example, later sauropods developed hollow vertebrae, as a weight-saving measure. Barapasaurus vertebrae, on the other hand, were almost solid, with only the earliest hints of hollowing. (See also: Camarasaurus
Camarasaurus
Camarasaurus meaning 'chambered lizard', referring to the hollow chambers in its vertebrae was a genus of quadrupedal, herbivorous dinosaurs. It was the most common of the giant sauropods to be found in North America...
.)
Despite its early place in dinosaur history, Barapasaurus reached a length of about 18 metres (59.1 ft), and weighed about 48 tonnes (52.9 ST). Its height to the hip was approximately 5.5 metres (18 ft).
Environment
Like all sauropods, Barapasaurus was a herbivoreHerbivore
Herbivores are organisms that are anatomically and physiologically adapted to eat plant-based foods. Herbivory is a form of consumption in which an organism principally eats autotrophs such as plants, algae and photosynthesizing bacteria. More generally, organisms that feed on autotrophs in...
. However, no skull has yet been recovered and so its exact diet has not been determined. A few lone teeth are known but not sufficient to make judgments on diet.
Classification
Barapasaurus is included in VulcanodontidaeVulcanodontidae
The Early Jurassic sauropod dinosaurs Zizhongosaurus, Barapasaurus, Tazoudasaurus, and Vulcanodon may form a natural group of basal sauropods called the Vulcanodontidae. Basal vulcanodonts include some of the earliest known examples of sauropods. The family-level name Vulcanodontidae was erected by...
rather than, as was previously the case, the Cetiosauridae, another family in Sauropoda
Sauropoda
Sauropoda , or the sauropods , are an infraorder of saurischian dinosaurs. They had long necks, long tails, small heads , and thick, pillar-like legs. They are notable for the enormous sizes attained by some species, and the group includes the largest animals to have ever lived on land...
. This classification is unconfirmed since insufficient work has been done on the skeleton
Skeleton
The skeleton is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism. There are two different skeletal types: the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, and the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside the body.In a figurative sense, skeleton can...
s. The description is justified by the narrow sacrum
Sacrum
In vertebrate anatomy the sacrum is a large, triangular bone at the base of the spine and at the upper and back part of the pelvic cavity, where it is inserted like a wedge between the two hip bones. Its upper part connects with the last lumbar vertebra, and bottom part with the coccyx...
(the hip vertebrae), which is a characteristic of vulcanodontids. However, the back vertebrae display features shared with Cetiosauridae, such as a high neural arch above the vertebral foramen
Vertebral foramen
In a typical vertebra, the vertebral foramen is the foramen formed by the anterior segment , and the posterior part, the vertebral arch....
.
Currently the only known species is the type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
B. tagorei.
Discovery
The first bones of Barapasaurus were recovered in India in 1960. However, it was not until 1975 that this recovery was made the type specimen, and the official description published by Jain, Kutty, Roy-Chowdhury and Chatterjee of Calcutta.Since then, five additional skeletons have been recovered from the Godavari Valley in southern India. However, none of these included the skull or feet, and little work has yet been published regarding these discoveries.