Kotasaurus came from the family of Sauropod dinosaurs. It’s known to be one of the most primitive sauropods to exist during the Early Jurassic Period. The first fossil remains were discovered in India.
Key Facts about the Kotasaurus
| Domain | Description |
|---|---|
| Kotasaurus pronunciation | Koe-tah-sore-us |
| What does Kotasaurus mean? | The name Kotasaurus came from the word “kota” which means Kota Formation Lizard, while the name yamanpalliensis was named after the village near where most of the skeletal remains were collected. |
| Dinosaur type | Sauropod |
| On the menu | Herbivore |
| Length | 30 ft |
| Height | 10 ft |
| Weight | 2500 kg |
| Life expectancy | Unfortunately, there’s no available data regarding Kotasaurus’s average lifespan. |
| Legs used to get around | Quadrupedal |
| Estimated top speed | Since Kotasaurus was a sauropod that had great length and weight, it’s believed that they weren’t fast-moving. They would tend to move slowly in packs to reach places. |
| When they lived | During the Sinemurian age of the Early Jurassic period which was approximately 199 million to 183 million years ago. |
| Where they have been found? | The fossil remains of Kotasaurus were retrieved in India. Further studies revealed that this sauropod used to inhabit Telangana, Indiana. It’s assumed that they used to live in forests or in areas with rich vegetation. |
When & Where
In the late 1970s, all of the 840 skeletal parts discovered were collected in the Kota Formation of Andhra Pradesh near the Yamanpalli village in India. Then in 1988, it was described by P.M. Yadagiri as a new genus and species of sauropod namely, Kotasaurus yamanpalliensis.
Size & Weight
Kotasaurus’s body length was about 9 m long and had a straight femur and columnar limbs. It is assumed that it was 10 ft tall. This heavy-built sauropod weighed approximately 2500 kg.
Mobility & Diet
The exact diet of Kotasaurus yamanpalliensis is unknown, however since it’s classified to be a plant eater, it possibly ate various types of trees and plants.
Interesting Points
- The general body shape is the same as a typical sauropod but in some fundamental features, it somewhat resembles Prosauropods.
- It’s still lacking its skull remains, however, paleontologists assume that it has a small head like all other sauropods.
- There were 12 remains collected by paleontologists.
- It was given the scientific name Kotasaurus yamanpalliensis.
- Most of the skeletons collected were lacking their skull, all they had were two teeth.
- There’s a display of a skeletal mount made from several parts of Kotasaurus in the Birla Science Museum in Hyderabad, India.