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Indosaurus

Say it: IN-doh-SORE-us

Name means: “Indian lizard”1

Ate: MeatMeat-eating dinosLate Cretaceous

Indosaurus was a meat-eating dinosaur that lived in India about 69 to 66 million years ago. It was a relative of the famous Carnotaurus and had a thick, bony skull. Scientists think it might have hunted big plant-eaters like sauropods.1

Lived

72 to 66 million years ago2

Late Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Bara Simla, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India2 1

Food

Meat1

Weight

700 kg1

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How heavy was it?

as heavy as 23 big dogs

as heavy as 140 watermelons

How big was Indosaurus compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

cool stuff

Fun facts

Indosaurus was the first majungasaurine dinosaur ever discovered, named in 1933.1

Its skull was thick and had a triangular crest on top, similar to its relative Abelisaurus.1

Indosaurus lived alongside other abelisaurids like Rajasaurus and Rahiolisaurus in the Lameta Formation.1

The only known fossil of Indosaurus is a braincase that has been lost, making it hard for scientists to study.1

Indosaurus weighed about 700 kilograms (1,500 pounds), as heavy as a small car.1

It lived in a semi-arid or tropical humid environment with rivers and lakes.1

AI-made picture of Indosaurus — An AI-made picture of how Indosaurus might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Indosaurus

?What does the name Indosaurus mean?

It means 'Indian lizard'. The name refers to India, where it was found.1

?How big was Indosaurus?

It weighed about 700 kilograms (1543 pounds), as heavy as a small car. Its exact length is unknown because only a braincase was found.1

?What did Indosaurus eat?

It was a meat-eater that probably hunted large plant-eating dinosaurs like Isisaurus and Jainosaurus.1

?How was Indosaurus discovered?

The only fossil, a braincase, was found between 1917 and 1919 in Jabalpur, India, by Charles Alfred Matley.1

?Why is Indosaurus's only fossil lost?

The holotype braincase has been lost, so scientists cannot study it directly. This makes it hard to confirm if it is a valid species.1

?Was Indosaurus related to Carnotaurus?

Yes, both are abelisaurid dinosaurs. Indosaurus lacked the paired horns that Carnotaurus had.1

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For dino experts

Scientific name: Indosaurus
Named by: Huene 19332
Group: Meat-eating dinos
Family / clade: Abelisauridae2
Classification: Theropoda > Ceratosauria > Abelisauridae2
Age of the rocks: 72 to 66 million years (Maastrichtian)2
Rock formations: Lameta2
Countries: India2
Fossil records: 1 in the Paleobiology Database2
Discovery: Indosaurus was discovered by Charles Alfred Matley between 1917 and 1919 in Jabalpur, India. It was named by Friedrich von Huene and Matley in 1933, honoring India and Matley.1
Still debated: Some scientists think Indosaurus might be a nomen dubium (doubtful name) because its only fossil is lost and fragmentary.1

Where the facts come from

Indosaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
Indosaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

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