Lusitanosaurus: Research Database
Macronaria (Sauropoda) · Late Jurassic (~155 MYA) · Europe — Portugal (Lourinhã Formation)
Research Note: Lusitanosaurus was a macronarian sauropod from the Late Jurassic of Portugal — the first sauropod named from Portugal and an important taxon for understanding sauropod evolution in the Jurassic of Europe.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Yague et al. 2006: Lusitanosaurus and new data on sauropod diversity from the Jurassic of Portugal
Yague et al. 2006 provide comprehensive data on Lusitanosaurus from the Late Jurassic of Portugal, establishing it as a basal macronarian and documenting sauropod diversity in the Jurassic of Europe
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Confirmed | A | 2006 | Fossil | Yague et al., Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie | Diversity |
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Santos et al. 2008: Lusitanosaurus and additional data on Jurassic sauropod paleobiology
Santos et al. 2008 provide additional data on Lusitanosaurus and Jurassic sauropod paleobiology, further contextualising its significance within Macronaria
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Confirmed | B | 2008 | Fossil | Santos et al., Acta Palaeontologica Polonica | Paleobiology |
Active Debate: Sauropod Evolution in the Jurassic of Europe
Whether Lusitanosaurus represents a basal macronarian is debated. The evolution of sauropods in the Jurassic of Europe — and their biogeographic history — is key to understanding sauropod evolution.
What We Still Do Not Know About Lusitanosaurus
- Complete skeletal morphology: Partial specimen known.
- Diet: Herbivore.
- Social behavior: No direct evidence.
- Body armor: Unknown.
In Depth
Lusitanosaurus is widely regarded as a dubious genus because of the lack of fossils that were used to describe it. The maxilla in question was originally thought to be from a stegosaur, but today it is considered to be from an ankylosaurian. Beyond this it is hard to infer anything further other than in life the dinosaur was likely a herbivore and quadrupedal like other members of the Thyreophora, and again this is why the genus is regarded as dubious.
Further Reading
- Les dinosauriens du Portugal, Albert-Felix de Lapparent & Georges Zbyszewski - 1957.
