Rajasaurus

princely lizard (royal lizard)

• raja · Sanskrit · king, prince
• sauros · Greek · lizard

Rajasaurus means "princely lizard" or "royal lizard". It combines the Sanskrit word "raja" (king or prince) with the Greek "sauros" (lizard). The name refers to the animal's prominent crest or horn-like structure on its head, which suggests royalty, and to its discovery in India. The full species name, Rajasaurus narmadensis, refers to the Narmada River valley where it was found.

Named by

Wilson et al.

Year named

2003

Period

Late Cretaceous

Stage

Maastrichtian

Found in

Lameta Formation, Gujarat, India

A theropod (abelisaurid) dinosaur. The single known species is Rajasaurus narmadensis. The Maastrichtian stage and the Lameta Formation are the usual placement of the fossils.