A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Appendix

Labocania

Taxon: Theropoda

Name means: “for La Bocana,” for Bocana Roja in Baja

Pronounced: lLAB-uh-KAN-ee-uh

Size: 20 ft (6 m)

Time: Late Cretaceous, 83 – 73 mya

Place: Mexico, California

This heavy-skulled meat-eater, known only from fragmentary fossil remains, was named for the La Bocana Roja Formation in Mexico. With only limited and badly-worn bone material to its name, little is fully understood about this dinosaur. Its skull was unusually thick for the group of large carnivorous theropods. Labocania resembled both primitive Asian carnosaurs and North American tyranosaurs, indicating that the land masses were connected during the Cretaceous.

Labrosaurus

Name means: “greedy lizard”

Pronounced: LAB-ro-SAWR-us

This dinosaur is considered to be ALLOSAURUS.

Laelaps

Name means: “storm wind”

Pronounced: LEE-laps or LAY-laps

Named after a mythical leaping hunting dog, Laelaps is now known as

DRYPTOSAURUS.

Laevisuchus

Taxon: probably Theropoda

name means: “light crocodile”

Pronounced: LAY-vee-SOOK-us

size: about 7 ft (2 – 3 m)

time: Late Cretaceous

place: India

Only three neck vertebrae helped define this small carnivore from India. Only 1.35 inches long, these bones allow us to guess at the dinosaur’s full size. Laevisuchus was originally believed to be a coelurid. Although the vertebrae seem similar to those of Calamospondylus, another small theropod from England, too little is known about the specimen to know for show how or if the two are really related. Laevisuchus was named by von Huene.

Lambeosaurus

Taxon: Ornithopoda Hadrosauridae

Name means: “Lambe’s lizard,” for Lawrence Morris Lambe, a Canadian paleontologist

Pronounced: LAM-bee-uh-SAW-rus

Size: 30 ft (9 m)

Time: Late Cretaceous, 76 – 72 mya

Place: Alberta, Montana, Mexico

Best known for the high, plow-like crest at the top of its head, Lambeosaurus is a large member of the plant-eating “duckbilled” dinosaurs. The shape of the crest may have varied with age and gender. Lambeosaurus crests were hollow and contained paired canals which connected to the nostrils. Whether these canals served a function of smell or vocalization is a matter of some debate. Fossilized skin impressions show that Lambeosaurus skin was covered with polygonal scales.

Lametasaurus

Taxon: probably Ankylosauria

name means: “Lameta Lizard,” after the Lameta formation in India

pronounced: luh-MEE-tuh-SAW-rus

size: Moderate

time: Late Cretaceous

place: India

Known only from jumbled, scrappy fossil material which was mixed with crocodilian teeth and theropod remains, the armored ankylosaurid Lametasaurus may or may not have been a member of the club-less nodosaurs. This dinosaur was once thought to be a stegosaur.

Lanasaurus

Taxon: Heterodontosauridae

Name means: “wooly lizard”

Pronounced: LAY-nuh-SAW-rus

Size: Small

Time: Early Jurassic

Place: South Africa

Named for Professor A. W. “Fuzz” Compton, this primitive heterodontosaurid was a small, bipedal plant-eater. Unlike most heterodontosaurs, Lanasaurus lacked pits on the inner surface of its teeth. Its tusks were prominent, and its cheek teeth were sharp and chisel-shaped for slicing vegetation.

Lancangosaurus

Pronounced: LAN-kang-uh-SAW-rus

This is now known as DATOUSAURUS.

Lancanjiangosaurus

Taxon: Sauropoda

name means: “Chinese lizard”

pronounced: lan-KAN-jee-ANG-guh-SAW-rus

size: Large

time: Late Jurassic

place: China

A giant sauropod with a long neck, long tail and four sturdy, thick legs, this dinosaur’s back vertebrae apparently had substantial pits or air pockets within them, which would have done much to lighten the animal’s weight. Little else is known about this uncertain genus.

Laosaurus

Taxon: probably Ornithopoda Dryosauridae

name means: “fossil lizard”

Pronounced: luh-PLAT-uh-SAW-rus

size: Small

time: Late Jurassic

place: Wyoming, Alberta

This small dinosaur, found in the legendary Como Bluff quarry in Wyoming, was about the size of a fox and fed on plants. Based on the one-inch-long vertebrae, Othniel Marsh believed that this was a two-legged dinosaur similar to the British species Hypsilophodon. Researchers currently believe that Laosaurus was similar to Dryosaurus. Species believed to be part of this uncertain genus have been suggested to belong to Othnelia, Dryosaurus and perhaps Orodromeus.

Laplatasaurus

Taxon: Sauropoda Titanosauridae

Name means: “La Plata lizard,” after for a region in Argentina

Pronounced: lah-PLAHT-a-SAWR-us

Size: 60 ft (18 m)

Time: Late Cretaceous, 83 – 65 million years ago

Place: Argentina, Madagascar, India

Slimmer than most of the giant titanosaurids, this primitive sauropod may have been armored, as suggested by rare skin impressions found in South America. Laplatasaurus was named by von Heune.

Lapparentosaurus

Taxon: Sauropoda Brachiosauridae

Name means: “Lapparent's lizard,” for Albert de Lapparent, a French paleontologist

Pronounced: LAP-uh-REN-tuh-SAW-rus

size: Large

Time: Middle Jurassic, 175 – 169 mya

Place: Madagascar

Based on the remains of a juvenile, Lapparentosaurus was first thought to belong to the genus of the English sauropod Bothriospondylus. Closer examination, however, revealed that this was a more primitive species, featuring a short snout, shortened tail and front legs at least as long as the rear ones. Lapparentosaurus appears to have been closely related to Brachiosaurus. This dinosaur was named in 1986 by Bonaparte.

Leaellynasaura

Taxon: Ornithopoda Hypsilophodontidae

Name means: “Leaellyn’s lizard”

Pronounced: lay-EL-I-nuh-SAW-ra

size: 6.5 – 10 ft (2 – 3 m)

Time: Early Cretaceous, 115 – 110 mya

Place: Australia

As a schoolgirl of the Victorian era, Leaellyn Rich reportedly wanted a dinosaur of her very own. When she helped her father discover this primitive little plant-eater, no bigger than a baby kangaroo, she got her wish and secured her place in paleontological history. Leaellynasaura differs from other hypsilophodontids in that its hind leg bone narrows, front to back, at the base. Leaellynasaura also bore ridges on both sides of its upper cheek teeth, a distinctive feature shared only with Othnelia. Leaellynasaura had an unusually big brain for a dinosaur of its size, and its large eyes suggest that it had keen vision.

Leipsanosaurus

Taxon: Ankylosauridae

name means: “remains lizard “

Pronounced: LYEP-san-uh-SAW-rus

Size: Unknown, probably moderate

Time: Late Cretaceous

Place: Transylvania, Romania

A single, isolated tooth is the only fossil specimen upon which this species is based. Believed to be an armored ankylosaur, Leipsanosaurus may have been a nodosaurid. It has been suggested that this may be the same animal as Struthiosaurus.

Leptoceratops

Taxon: Ceratopsia Protoceratopidae

Name means: “small horned face”

Pronounced: LEP-tuh-SER-uh-tops

size: 5 – 10 ft (1.5 – 3 m)

Time: Late Cretaceous, 68 – 65 mya

Place: Alberta, Wyoming, China, Mongolia

Perhaps the most anatomically primitive of known protoceratopsids, this small plant-eating dinosaur lived at the same time as much more advanced horned ceratopsians. It had a beak-like mouth and a modest frill, but no nose or brow horns. It may have walked on two or four legs, or perhaps it could switch between the two as the need arose. Leptoceratops was named by Barnum Brown in 1914.

Leptospondylus

Name means: “slender vertebrae”

Pronounced: LEP-toh-SPON-di-lus

This is now known as MASSOSPONDYLUS.

Lesothosaurus

Taxon: Ornithopoda Lesothosauridae

Name means: “Lesotho lizard,” named for South African region

Pronounced: li-SOH-thoh-SAW-rus

size: about 3 ft (1 m)

Time: Early Jurassic, 208 – 200 mya

Place: South Africa

This small, bird-hipped plant eater was one of the earliest of ornithischians. Just over three feet long, it was slender, lightly-built and incredibly swift. Large eyes were set in its four-inch-long skull . A long snout with a beak-like, horn-covered tip was ideal for cropping vegetation. Lesothosaurus had short forelimbs with a partially opposable thumb, suggesting that it had superior grasping power. Though it is generally thought to have been herbivorous, Lesthosaurus may also have fed on insects or scavenged meat if the opportunity arose.

Lessemsaurus

Taxon: probably Sauropodomorpha

Name means: “Lessem’s lizard”

Pronounced: LESS-em-SAWR-us

This new Argentinian find was named for author Don Lessem. More information will

have to await a formal description.

Lexovisaurus

Taxon: Stegosauria Stegosauridae

Name means: “Lexovian lizard,” named for the Lexovii, an ancient Celtic people

Pronounced: lek-SOH-vi-SAW-rus

Size: 17 ft (5 m)

Time: Middle Jurassic, 169 – 156 mya

Place: England

This plant-eating stegosaurid had back-plates almost twice as high as they were wide. Its shoulder spines were exceptionally large, up to 10.5 inches wide. Some scientists speculate that the considerable size of the plates suggests that they were either ornamental or especially evolved to help regulate the dinosaur’s body temperature by providing a large surface for releasing excess heat. Lexovisaurus was named in 1957.

Ligabueino

Taxon: Abelisauria, possibly Noasauridae

Name means: “Ligabue’s little one”

Pronounced: LEE-gah-BOO-ay-EE-noh

Size: about 30 inches (75 cm)

Time: Early Cretaceous, 132 – 127 mya

Place: Argentina

Named to honor Italian dinosaur scholar Dr. Giancarlo Ligabue, this tiny meat-eating theropod was discovered in the Neuguen Province of Patagonia in Argentina.

Likhoelesaurus

Taxon: Unknown

name means: “Lesotho lizard,” named for a town in South Africa

pronounced: LICK-hoh-li-SAW-rus

size: Unknown

time: Late Triassic

place: South Africa

Teeth that resemble those of the carnivorous dinosaur Basutodon are the only fossil evidence so far of this animal’s existence. The 2.7-inch-long teeth were at first thought to have come from the jaws of a theropod, but some researchers have suggested that Likhoelesaurus may have actually been herbivorous.

Liliensternus

Taxon: Theropoda

Name means:“for Lilienstern” to honor German paleontologist Hugo Ruele von

Lilienstern

Pronounced: LIL-ee-en-STER-nus

size: 16 ft (5 m)

Time: Late Triassic, 222 – 219 mya

Place: Germany

This early carnivorous dinosaur had an exceptionally long neck and tail and shortened forelimbs. It may have resembled Dilophosaurus and Coelophysis. Its hands still had a primitive five fingers, the first and fifth being especially small. The skull had triangular openings in front of each eye socket.

Limayasaurus

This Argentinian sauropod may belong to REBBACHISAURUS.

Limnosaurus

Name means: “marsh lizard”

Pronounced: LIM-noh-SAW-rus

This dinosaur is considered to be TELMATOSAURUS.

Lirainosaurus

Taxon: Titanosauria

Name means: “slender lizard”

pronounced: lee-RANE-o-SAW-rus

time: Late Cretaceous

place: Spain

According to descriptions, the Lirainosaurus femur or leg bone is one of the most slender ever attributed to a sauropod. The small plant-eating titanosaur, discovered in the Basque region of Spain, was identified based on remains from both adults and juveniles. These remains included a helpful fragment of the skull, complete with pencil-like teeth. A pair of bony dermal scutes was also found in this bone bed, helping to complete the visual picture of this four-legged browser. Lirainosaurus was named by Sanz, Powell, Le Loeuff, Martinez and Preda-Suberbiola.

Lisboasaurus

Taxon: probably Theropoda

name means: “Portuguese lizard”

pronounced: liz-BOH-uh-SAW-rus

size: Small

time: Late Jurassic

place: Portugal

Originally described as a lizard, this birdlike animal had upper jaw bones similar to those of saurischian dinosaurs and may have belonged to the troodontids, a family of small carnivorous dinosaurs.

Loncosaurus

Pronounced: LONG-kuh-SAW-rus

This is actually GENYODECTES.

Longosaurus

Name means: “Long’s lizard”

Pronounced: LONG-uh-SAW-rus

This dinosaur is considered to be COELOPHYSIS.

Lophorhothon

Taxon: Ornithopoda Hadrosauridae

Name means: “crested nose”

Pronounced: LOF-ur-HUH-thon

size: 15 ft (4.5 m)

Time: Late Cretaceous, 83 – 73 mya

Place: Alabama

A flat-headed duckbilled dinosaur, Lophorhothon had a deep skull with wide eye sockets and a short snout. A triangular horn or crest rose above this dinosaur’s nose, much like the ornamentation of Prosaurolophus and Maiasaurua, but further forward on the snout than were the crests of those animals. There is some speculation that Lophorhothon may actually be a juvenile Prosaurolophus.

Loricosaurus

Taxon: Uncertain

Name means: “cuirass lizard”

pronounced: LOR-I-kuh-SAW-rus

size: Moderate to large

time: Late Cretaceous

place: Argentina

This poorly-understood dinosaur may have been an armored ankylosaur or an armored

titanosaur, possibly a member of the Neuquensaurus genus. Little else can be said about

Loricosaurus without additional fossil material to study.

Lourinhanosaurus

Taxon: Theropoda Carnosauria

Name means: “Lourinha lizard,” named for the region in Portugal

Pronounced: loh-reen-YAH-no-SAW-rus

size: about 14 ft (4 m)

Time: Late Jurassic, 154 – 144 mya

Place: Portugal

Based on an incomplete skeleton without a skull, Lourinhanosaurus was discovered in west-central Portugal. An analysis of the fossilized pelvis and hind limbs suggest that this was an allosauroid. 32 stomach stones called gastroliths, used by some dinosaurs to grind swallowed food into easily-digested pulp, were found in the animal’s ribcage section. The presence of stomach stones in meat-eaters is not unheard-of, as the first observation of gastroliths in large theropods came in 1835 when scientists found 8 to 10 of the polished stones in the belly of Poekilopleuron. Lourinhanosaurus was named by Mateus.

Lourinhasaurus

Taxon: Sauropoda

Name means: “Lourinha lizard”

Pronounced: loh-REEN-yah-SAWR-us

size: 56 ft (17 m)

Time: Late Jurassic, 154 – 144 mya

Place: Portugal

Lourinhasaurus was a long-necked sauropod assigned first to Apatosaurus, then to Camarasaurus, but now considered to be a separate genus entirely.

Lucianosaurus

Taxon: probably Ornithischia

name means: “Luciano Mesa lizard”

pronounced: loo-see-AN-o-SAW-rus

size: Unknown

time: Late Triassic

place: New Mexico

Hunt and Lucas described and named this probably ornithischian dinosaur based on its

fossilized teeth alone. Very little is known about the animal, which was named for the

place in New Mexico where it was discovered.

Lufengocephalus

Name means: “Lufeng head”

Pronounced: LOO-FUHNG-o-SEF-a-lus

This is considered to be the same as LUFENGOSAURUS.

Lufengosaurus

Taxon: Prosauropoda Plateosauridae

Name means: “Lufeng lizard”

Pronounced: loo-FUNG-guh-SAW-rus

size: 20 ft (6 m)

Time: Early Jurassic, 208 – 200 mya

Place: China

Lufengosaurus was a large, early herbivorous dinosaur, named for the Lufeng Basin in China. It appears to have been closely related to the prosauropod Plateosaurus. Its skull was small with large eyes and a jaw containing serrated teeth. Like most prosauropods, the neck was long, the tail was massive and the legs were thick and sturdy. The first claws of both the front and back feet of Lufengosaurus seem to have been quite powerful.

Lukousaurus

Taxon: probably Theropoda

Name means: “Lukou Bridge lizard”

pronounced: LOO-kuh-SAW-rus

size: 6.5 ft (2 m)

Time: Early Jurassic, c. 200 - 194 mya

Place: China

Only a partial skull of this carnivore has been found, containing fifteen flattened, backward-pointing teeth. The muzzle was slender, the eye sockets were well-rounded, and the nasal openings were towards the front of the dinosaur’s snout. Once considered to be a member of the coelurosauria, this theropod now appears to have been too large to fit that classification. It has been suggested that Lukousaurus may not be a dinosaur at all, but rather a related archosaurian reptile.

Lurdusaurus

Taxon: Iguanodontia

Name means: “heavy lizard”

Pronounced: LOOR-duh-SAW-rus

size: 29.5 ft (9 m)

Time: Early Cretaceous, 121 – 112 mya

Place: Niger

Formerly known as Gravisaurus, Lurdusaurus was a bulky, powerful iguanodontid with anatomical specializations similar to those of the giant ground sloth. Estimated to have weighed about 5.5 metric tons in life, this bulky dinosaur was probably a slow mover. When the animal stood on all four legs, its underbelly may have hung only two feet above the ground. The skull was small when compared to the body. Lurdusaurus was named by Taquet and Russell.

Lusitanosaurus

Taxon: probably Thyreophora

Name means: “Portuguese lizard”

pronounced: LOO-si-TAN-uh-SAW-rus

size: Moderate

time: Early Jurassic

place: Portugal

An upper law and eight teeth are all science has to identify this apparent thyreophoran dinosaur, a probable member of the group which includes the stegosaurs and ankylosaurs. The four-inch-long skull fragment indicates that this was a primitive armored dinosaur like Scelidosaurus, but with taller teeth.

Lycorhinus

Taxon: Heterodontosauridae

Name means: “wolf snout”

Pronounced: LYE-koh-RYE-nus

size: 4 ft (1.2 m)

Time: Early Jurassic, 208 – 200 mya

Place: South Africa

Distinguished by its large canine teeth, Lycorhinus was part of a group of primitive, two-legged plant-eaters. Once mistaken for a cynodont—a mammal-like, non-dinosaurian reptile, Lycorhinus is now known to have been a small, tusked heterodontosaur.