Dinosaurs in India:

Fossil Evidences

Government of India
Ministry of Mines

Geological
Survey of
India
Central Region
March 2010
 T
he last two decades have been the Second Golden Age of dinosaur
research in India. The First was the period between 1917-1933 when
the most systematic efforts were made to study and describe the
dinosaur skeletal material available from the Late Cretaceous localities in
India. The renaissance of this research after a gap of nearly 50 years was a
sequel to the maiden discovery of dinosaur eggs and nests in Balasinor
Kheda District, Gujarat from Lameta Formation (Maastrichtian, ca. 67
million years old). The diversity of dinosaurs in India indicates that the
Late Cretaceous of India provided an ideal niche for the acme of their
breeding and nesting. Geological Survey of India has taken a leading role
in the study of dinosaurs and for the conservation and management of fossil
sites in India.

Jalselmer Major dinosaur occurences

in India
R A J A S T H A N

Dayapar
Dhori Dungri
G U J A R A T Sagar
Bhuj Anjar Jhalod
Ahamadabad Bhopal
Dahod Jabalpur
Jhabua
Kheda H
AR
Dhar M A D H YA P R A D E S H
Bagh
G
IS
TT

Nagpur
HA

Umrer
CH

Pauna
Warora
M A H A R A S H T R A Chandrapur Maleri
Yamenpalli
Asifabad Kota

Hyderabad
A N D H R A
KA

P R A D E S H
ATA

Nest-sites of Megaloolithid Eggs

(Sauropod Titanosaurs)
RN
KA

Nest-site of Elongatoolithid Eggs

(Theropod abelisaurids)
Bangalore
Madras
Single Megaloolothid Egg

Kallamedu Skeletal remains dominated by

Ariyalur Titanosaurid - abelisaurid dinosaurs
K
E

Tiruchchirppalli Skeletal remain Pre - cretaceous

R
E

T A M I L
L

N A D U
A

(After Mohabey, 2001)

Trivendrum
The Pioneer Researchers
on Indian Dinosaurs
H. Falconer
R. Lydekker
Von Huene F.B.
C.A. Matley
GSI memoir Palaeontologia Indica,
Vol. XXI, 1933, Von Huene and Matley
C.A. is a classic record of description
of Indian Cretaceous Dinosaurs.
BRIEF HISTORY OF INDIAN DINOSAUR FINDS
The discovery of the first Indian dinosaur was made by Hislop (1859) from
the Lameta sediments of Pisdura, Maharashtra. Subsequently Falconer
(1868) also described a few unnamed vertebrae collected by Oldham
from the Lameta sediments of Jabalpur-Spilsbury. Colonel Sleeman is
also reported to have collected a few bones from the Lameta sediments
around Jabalpur which were later identified as dinosaurian by Lydekker
(1877). A new genus and species Titanosaurus indicus was established on
the basis of caudal vertebrae and a femur from the Lameta sediments of
Bara Simla Hill, Jabalpur. Lydekker (1879) redescribed Blanford's
specimens from Pisdura and described the caudal vertebrae as a new
species Titanosaurus blandfordi. Among theropods, Indosuchus raptorius
and Indosaurus matleyi and Rajasaurus narmadensis are known from the
Lameta Formation of Jabalpur and Kheda.
Hughes (1877) also made a collection of dinosaur bones from the Lameta
sediments of Pisdura which were tentaively assigned to Titanosaurus by
Lydekker (1879, p.24). Blanford (1868) during the surveys between the
years 1857-1860, also described a bone bed of reptilian affinity from the
sediments of Ariyalur Group near Kallamedu. The dinosaurs from the
Kallamedu Formation of Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian age) were studied
subsequently by Matley (1929).
During the period between 1917-1919 most serious studies on dinosaurs
from the Lameta sediments of Jabalpur and Pisdura were made by C.A.
Matley and Von Huene.
Further work in the P-G valley has led to a documentation (Table) of
fragmentary remains of platerosaurids and thecodontisaurid sauropods
from Late Triassic (Norian-Rhaetian) Dharamaram Formation and a small
theropod Walkeria malerensis, perhaps the earliest dinosaur from Asia,
from the Upper Triassic (Carnian) Maleri Formation.
Kotasaurus at Birla Science Museum, Barapasaurus at ISI,
Hyderabad Kolkata
Till date only two complete skeletons - Barapasaurs tagorei (comprising
nearly 40% of the original skeleton with missing feet and skull) in Indian
Statistical Institute, Kolkata and Kotasaurus yamanapalliensis (comprising
nearly 70% of the original skeleton with missing skull) and Birla Science
Museum, Hyderabad, respectively. Both of the skeletons were unearther
from the Jurassic of Pranhita Godavari Valley in Andhrpadesh and
adjoining districts of Maharashtra.
 Fragmentary dinosaur skeleton remains that are too incomplete for any
familial or generic identification, have also been reported from the Middle
Member of the Jaisalmer Formation of Middle Jurassic (Callovian age)
near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan and the early Middle Jurassic of Kuar Bet in
Kutch, Gujarat.

Indian Pre-Late Cretaceous (Gondwanian) Dinosaur Taxa

Name of Species Horizon Locality
Barapasaurus tagori Jain et al Kota Formation Early Jurassic Yamanpalli, Kota
Kotasaurus yamanapalliensis Yadagiri and Ayyasami Kota Formation Early Jurassic Yamanpalli, Kota
The Indian titanosaur species
A platesaurid and the codontisaurid prosauopod Dharmaram Formation Triassic Sironcha
T. indicus was established based
(Narain-Rhatian)
on a few caudal vertebrae from
Lameta of Jabalpur Walkeri Malerensis Chatterjee Maleri (Carnian) Maleri

Indian Late Cretaceous Dinosaur Taxa

Name of Species Formation Locality
SAUROPODA
Titanosaurus indicus Lydekker Lameta Formation Jabalpur, Pisdura,
Umrer, Ariyalur?
Titanosaurus blandfordi Lydekker Lameta Formation Pisdura
Antarctosaurus septentrionalis Huene and Matleyi Lameta Formation Jabalpur

Laplatasaurus madagascariensis Deperet Lameta Formation Pisdura

Titanosaurus colberti Jain and Bandyopadhyay/ Lameta Formation Dongargaon
Isisaurus Wilson and others
THEROPODA
Rajasaurus Narmadensis Wilson and others Lameta Formation Kheda
Indosuchus raptorius Huene Lameta Formation Jabalpur
Indosuchus matleyi Huene Lameta Formation Jabalpur
Lametasaurus indicus (Emended Lameta Formation Jabalpur
Chakravarthi, 1935 as ornithischia)
Composuchus solus Huene Lameta Formation Jabalpur
Laevisuchus indicus Huene Lameta Formation Jabalpur
Jubbalppuria tenuis Huene Lameta Formation Jabalpur
Coeluroides largus Huene Lameta Formation Jabalpur
Dryptosauroides (?) grandis Huene Lameta Formation Jabalpur
Ornithomimoides mobolis Huene Lameta Formation Jabalpur
Ornithomimoides barasimlensis Huene Lameta Formation Jabalpur
Megalosaurus sp. Inter-Trappean Takli (Nagpur)
Massospondylus rawesi Lydekker Ariyalur Group Ariyalur
Bruhatkayosaurus matleyi Yadagiri and Ayyasami Kallamedu Formation Kallamedu
ORNITHOPODA
Brachypodosaurus gravis Chakravarthi Lameta Formation Jabalpur
Dravidosarus blandfordi Yadagiri and Ayyasami Trichinapoly Group Tiruchirapalli
Rajasaurus narmadensis from
Lameta of Kheda, Gujarat.
The species is based on a
brain-case, vertebrae and limb-
bones. Type specimens housed
in GSI, Kolkata (after J.A. Wilson
and others).

First Dinosaur Egg found in India,
in the Lameta sediments of
Balasinor Quarry, Kheda,
Gujarat in the year 1981.
The spherical football sized egg
was attributed to titanosaur.
(Mohabey 1983).
DINOSAUR EGGS, NESTS AND NEST-SITES IN INDIA
Since the discovery of dinosaur eggs and nests in India by Geological
Survey of India, a large numbers of nest-sites have been located in the state
of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra in the Late Cretaceous
Lameta Formation. The nesting sites have been attributed to titanosaurid
dinosaurs excepting a sole site in Gujarat that has been aassigned to
abelisaurid theropods. The study of the nests has indicated that the
dinosaurs prefferrd to lay their eggs in the riverine sand and buried their
eggs. Atleast 8 oospecies of megaloolithid eggs of titanosaurs have been
identified.

500 microns

Microstructure of dinosaur eggshell

Megaloolithus matleyi in
radial section.

A nest of sauropod showing spherical eggs in a nest-site at Rahioli,

Gujarat. A large number of sauropod nest-sites have been recorded in
Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh by GSI.

The eggs in a que for CT scanning

for identifying possible embryonic
remains.

CT-Scan of the titanosaur egg.

A majority of unhatched eggs
do not contain any embryonic
A nest of theropod abelisaur from Lameta of Kheda, Gujarat.
remains. A sole nest-site of theropods has been recorded so far in India.

Type A coprolites with plant tissues
from Lameta of Pisdura.
2 cm
2 cm
Type A coprolites with comminuted
plant tissues in polished sections.
DUNG MASS (COPROLITES) OF SAUROPOD
DINOSAURS
The plant bearing coprolites from Pisdura are unique in the world. So far
there is no report of dung mass definitely attributed to sauropod dinosaurs.
It provides a rarest evidence of dietary habits of their producers. The study of
the plant tissues from the coprolites indicate that the sauropods preferred to
consume soft foliage of the angiosperms, pteridophytes and gymnosperms
and avoided hard woody tissues befitting their jaw mechanics.
Soft plant tissues of angiosperms,
pteridophytes and gymnosperms
in coprolitic mass. Mag. 40 X
(Mohabey 2006)

Sauropod nest at Dhori Dungri,
Lameta Formation. The nest-site is
associated with fossils of snakes
that haunted dinosaur hatchlings.
The partial remain of associated
sauropod hatchling
Fossil specimen showing snake-sauropod hatchling and egg association and the line drawing illustrations.
Description of snake after Jeffrey Wilson, Dhananjay Mohabey, Jason Head and Peter Shanan,
SNAKE IN SAUROPOD NEST: A UNIQUE SPECIMEN
The remains of a nearly complete snake were found preserved in the nest of
a sauropod dinosaur in the Late Cretaceous sediments of Gujarat, the
adults of which are the largest animals known to have walked the earth. The
snake was coiled around a recently-hatched egg adjacent to a hatchling
sauropod. Remains of other snake individuals associated with egg clutches
at the same site suggest that the newly described snake made its living
feeding on young dinosaurs. The specimen is unique in the world. The
remains of a nearly complete snake were found preserved in the nest of a
sauropod dinosaur, the adults of which are the largest animals known to
have walked the earth.
The new snake, which was named Sanajeh indicus or "ancient-gaped one
from India" because of its lizard-like gape, adds critical information that
helps resolve the early diversification of snakes. Modern large-mouthed
snakes are able to eat large prey because they have mobile skulls and wide
gapes. Sanajeh bears only some of the traits of modern large-mouthed
snakes and provides insight into how they evolved.
This discovery of Sanajeh adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting
that India retained ties to southern landmasses for longer than once
hypothesized. Sanajeh's closest relatives are from Australia and speak to its
strong ties to southern continents, collectively known as Gondwana.
5 cm
published in PLoS Biology, March 2010.
Published by : DINOSAUR EXTINCTION AT
Deputy Director General
Geological Survey of India CRETACEOUS-PALAEOGENE BOUNDARY :
Central Region
Seminary Hills, THE INDIAN EVIDENCE
Nagpur-440 006
Visit us at: portal.gsi.gov.in
Dinosaurs in India are indicated to have become extinct at
least 350, 000 years beore the Cretaceous-Palaeogene
Boundary (Hansen and Mohabey 2005). Recent study has
strongly indicated that the floral change in India close to the
Cretaceous-Palaeogene Boundary (K-Pg) is triggered by
Deccan Volcanism. The voluminous eruption of the Deccan
continental flood basalts that lasted for over 8 million years
(69-61 Ma) is indicated to be responsible for the termination
of dinosaurs and associated biota close to the (K-Pg) at least
on the Indian subcontinent.

March 2010
Prepared by
Dr. D.M. Mohabey, Life-sized reconstruction of snake-dinosaur showing the the moment that
Director (G), freezed 67 million years back. Based on fossil from Dhori Dungri.
Paleontology Division Sculptored by Tyler Keillor.