Dandakosaurus

Dandaka lizard

• Dandaka · Sanskrit/Hindi · Dandaka (a forest region from Hindu mythology, also refers to the Dandakaranya region of central India)
• sauros · Greek · lizard

The name combines "Dandaka," a reference to the Dandakaranya — a vast forested region of central India mentioned in Hindu epic mythology (notably the Ramayana) and corresponding roughly to the area of Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh where the fossil was found — with the Greek "sauros," meaning lizard. The name thus means "lizard from Dandaka," honoring both the geographic and cultural heritage of the discovery locality. The fossils were recovered from the Kota Formation of the Pranhita–Godavari valley in central India.

Named by

Yadagiri

Year named

1982

Period

Early Jurassic

Stage

Toarcian

Found in

Kota Formation, Pranhita–Godavari valley, Andhra Pradesh / Telangana, India

Dandakosaurus indicus is known from very fragmentary remains (partial vertebrae and some postcranial material), which has made definitive classification difficult. It has been referred to as a large sauropodomorph or prosauropod-grade dinosaur. Due to the fragmentary nature of the holotype, it is widely regarded as a nomen dubium. It should not be confused with other Kota Formation taxa such as Kotasaurus or Barapasaurus.