Tharosaurus

Tharosaurus; Temporal range: Middle Jurassic Bajocian–Bathonian PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
	"Tharosaurus" as created by Unexpected Dino Lesson
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Sauropsida
clade:	Dinosauria
Order:	Saurischia
Suborder:	†Sauropoda
Superfamily:	†Diplodocoidea
Family:	†Dicraeosauridae
Type species
	Tharosaurus indicus; Bajpal et al., 2023

Tharosaurus is an extinct genus of dicraeosaurid sauropod that lived in India during the Middle Jurassic, was found in the Jaisalmer Formation. It is the oldest diplodocoid found and the first known from India. The type and only species is named T. indicus.

Discovery and Naming[]

The holotype was found in a bed from the Jaisalmer Formation in Western India. The specimen contains vertebrae from all 3 sections, caudal, dorsal, and cervical, along with a single rib. The genus was named "Tharosaurus" in 2023 by Bajpai et al. after the Thar desert where the holotype was uncovered along with "saurus" for lizard and "indicus" after India itself.

Classification[]

Tharosaurus is classified in the family Dicraeosauridae, and is currently ranked the oldest known diplodocoid and the oldest dicraeosaurid. It branched off from the other dicraeosaurids relatively early and spread into India. Its closest relatives were the more derived Pilmatueia and Amargatitanis.

Paleoenvironment[]

Tharosaurus is known from the Jaisalmer Formation, which is a bone bed rather scarce in described fauna. Tharosaurus likely competed with an extremely fragmentary Turiasaur sauropod, and interacted with an indeterminate averostran (known only from a tooth), and coexisted with Spinosauridae Indet., an extremely fragmentary spinosaurid and possibly the oldest known of the family. There were other reptiles present, but also only known from fragments, such as an indeterminate crocodilian known from only scutes. The formation also includes a lot of ichnogenera of indeterminate taxonomic ranking.

Given the lack of well-preserved specimens outside of Tharosaurus itself, it is currently unknown what ecological factors it interacted with.