Damalasaurus
Encyclopedia
"Damalasaurus" is the informal name (nomen nudum
) given to a genus
of herbivorous dinosaur
from the Early Jurassic
. It was a sauropod, though its exact classification within the clade
is unknown. Fossils of "Damalasaurus", including a rib, have been found in the Middle Daye Group
of Tibet
. Species attributed to this genus include "Damalasaurus laticostalis" and "D. magnus".
Nomen nudum
The phrase nomen nudum is a Latin term, meaning "naked name", used in taxonomy...
) given to a genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of herbivorous dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
from the Early Jurassic
Early Jurassic
The Early Jurassic epoch is the earliest of three epochs of the Jurassic period...
. It was a sauropod, though its exact classification within the clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
is unknown. Fossils of "Damalasaurus", including a rib, have been found in the Middle Daye Group
Daye Group
The Daye Group is a geological formation in India. It dates back to the Hettangian-Pliensbachian.-Vertebrate fauna:...
of Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. Species attributed to this genus include "Damalasaurus laticostalis" and "D. magnus".