Jainosaurus

Jainosaurus (Jain's lizard) was a large titanosaurid dinosaur of India and wider Asia, which lived in the Maastrichtian (approximately 68 mya). It was named to honour the Indian paleontologist Sohan Lal Jain,[1] who worked on the cranial nerve impressions in the skull;[2] at the time it was known as Antarctosaurus septentrionalis. Jain believes this species is possibly related or may be identical to the 1877 identification of Titanosaurus indicus.[3]

Jainosaurus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Superorder: Dinosauria Order: Sauropoda Family: Titanosauridae Subfamily: Saltasaurinae Genus: Jainosaurus Hunt et al., 1995
Species
J. septentrionalis (von Huene & Matley, 1933 [originally Antarctosaurus septentrionalis]) (type)

A herbivorous quadruped, an adult Jainosaurus would have measured around 18 m long and 6m high. No accurate estimate of the weight has yet been made.

The taxonomic status of Jainosaurus is disputed on many fronts. The first remains found were classified as Antarctosaurus septentrionalis by Friedrich von Huene and Matley in 1933, but in 1995 Hunt, Lockley, Lucas & Meyer recognised them as forming a distinct genus. However, Jain himself now believes that the remains represent merely a young or female Titanosaurus and not a distinctive genus at all. It is unlikely that the matter will be decided soon as so few remains have been found - only a basicranium and partial postcrania have been found.[3]

References

1. ^ http://www.dinosauria.com/dml/names/dinoj.htm
2. ^ Sahni, Ashok (2001). Dinosaurs of India, National Book Trust, New Delhi. ISBN 8123731094. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Jainosaurus in The Dinosaur Encyclopaedia