Open Paleo

Eusauropoda

Upchurch, 1995

Its genera lived 199.5–66.0 million years ago Early Jurassic–Late Cretaceous

Eusauropoda ("true lizard foot") is a derived clade of sauropod dinosaurs that encompasses the great majority of sauropod diversity. Upchurch (1995) erected it for all sauropods except the vulcanodontids, including Shunosaurus and Neosauropoda; Wilson and Sereno (1998) define it as sauropods closer to Saltasaurus than to Vulcanodon, whereas Salgado and colleagues (1997) applied the name to the node of Barapasaurus and Neosauropoda. Its members were strictly herbivorous, long-necked quadrupeds that grew to enormous size, and their remains have been found on every major continent, ranging in time from the Early Jurassic to the latest Cretaceous. The group includes the largely Asian family Mamenchisauridae, the clades Turiasauria and Cetiosauridae, and Neosauropoda, which in turn contains the widespread diplodocoids and titanosaurs. Eusauropods are set apart by skeletal specializations for bulk browsing, including broad, U-shaped jaws and lateral plates along the tooth rows, together with retracted nostrils, a further-elongated neck built from additional cervical vertebrae, and a semi-digitigrade, weight-bearing foot posture.

Diagnosis

  1. Broad, spatulate teeth arranged in a transversely broadened tooth row
  2. External nares retracted to a position level with or behind the antorbital fenestra
  3. Twelve or more cervical vertebrae
  4. Forked anterior chevrons
  5. Reduced manual and pedal phalangeal formulae
  6. Pronounced lateral pneumatic excavation of the presacral vertebrae

Clades within Eusauropoda

Genera placed directly in Eusauropoda

  • Abrosaurus Ouyang, 1989 Bajocian–Oxfordian (170.9–154.8 Ma)Chinaincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Algoasaurus Broom, 1904 Berriasian–Valanginian (143.1–132.6 Ma)South Africa
  • Amanzia Schwarz et al., 2020 Kimmeridgian (154.8–149.2 Ma)Switzerlandincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Atlasaurus Monbaron et al., 1999 Bathonian (168.2–165.3 Ma)Moroccoincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Bagualia Pol et al., 2020 Toarcian (184.2–174.7 Ma)Argentina
  • Barapasaurus Jain et al., 1975 Sinemurian–Pliensbachian (199.5–184.2 Ma)Indiaunder dispute
  • Bellusaurus Dong, 1990 Callovian–Oxfordian (165.3–154.8 Ma)Chinaincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Cardiodon Nomen dubium Owen, 1841 Bathonian (168.2–165.3 Ma)United Kingdomincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Cetiosauriscus Huene, 1927 Callovian (165.3–161.5 Ma)United Kingdomincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Chebsaurus Mahammed et al., 2005 Callovian–Kimmeridgian (165.3–149.2 Ma)Algeriaincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Daanosaurus Ye et al., 2005 Kimmeridgian–Tithonian (154.8–143.1 Ma)Chinaincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Datousaurus Dong & Tang, 1984 Bajocian–Oxfordian (170.9–154.8 Ma)China
  • Dystrophaeus Cope, 1877 Oxfordian (161.5–154.8 Ma)United Statesincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Ferganasaurus Alifanov & Averianov, 2003 Callovian (165.3–161.5 Ma)Kyrgyzstan
  • Galvesaurus Barco et al., 2005 Kimmeridgian–Tithonian (154.8–143.1 Ma)Spainincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Haestasaurus Upchurch et al., 2015 Valanginian (137.1–132.6 Ma)United Kingdomincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Huashanosaurus Mo et al., 2025 Early Jurassic–Middle JurassicChina
  • Janenschia Wild, 1991 Kimmeridgian–Berriasian (154.8–137.1 Ma)Tanzaniaincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Jinchuanloong Li et al., 2025 Bathonian (168.2–165.3 Ma)China
  • Jobaria Sereno et al., 1999 Bathonian–Oxfordian (168.2–154.8 Ma)Nigerincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Lapparentosaurus Bonaparte, 1986 Bathonian (168.2–165.3 Ma)Madagascarincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Nebulasaurus Xing, 2013 Aalenian–Bajocian (174.7–168.2 Ma)China
  • Perijasaurus Rincón et al., 2022 Toarcian–Aalenian (184.2–170.9 Ma)Colombia
  • Protognathosaurus Olshevsky, 1991 Bajocian–Oxfordian (170.9–154.8 Ma)China
  • Shunosaurus Dong et al., 1983 Bajocian–Oxfordian (170.9–154.8 Ma)China
  • Spinophorosaurus Remes et al., 2009 Bajocian–Bathonian (170.9–165.3 Ma)Nigerunder dispute
  • Tehuelchesaurus Rich et al., 1999 Oxfordian–Tithonian (161.5–143.1 Ma)Argentinaincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Tharosaurus Disputed Bajpai et al., 2023 Bathonian (168.2–165.3 Ma)Indiaincertae sedis
  • Yantaloong Zhang et al., 2026 Aalenian–Bathonian (174.7–165.3 Ma)Chinaincertae sedisunder dispute

References

  1. Upchurch, P. (1995). The evolutionary history of sauropod dinosaurs. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B 349(1330): 365-390. doi:10.1098/rstb.1995.0125

    Erected Eusauropoda for all sauropods except the vulcanodontids.

    upchurch1995a
  2. Wilson, J. A. (2002). Sauropod dinosaur phylogeny: critique and cladistic analysis. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 136(2): 215-275. doi:10.1046/j.1096-3642.2002.00029.x

    Comprehensive cladistic analysis diagnosing Eusauropoda.

    wilson2002a
  3. Wilson, J. A.; Sereno, P. C. (1998). Early evolution and higher-level phylogeny of sauropod dinosaurs. Memoir (Society of Vertebrate Paleontology) 5: 1-68. doi:10.2307/3889325

    Defined Eusauropoda as sauropods closer to Saltasaurus than to Vulcanodon, and diagnosed it.

    wilson1998a
  4. Salgado, L.; Coria, R. A.; Calvo, J. O. (1997). Evolution of titanosaurid sauropods. I: phylogenetic analysis based on the postcranial evidence. Ameghiniana 34: 3-32.

    Applied the name Eusauropoda to the node of Barapasaurus and Neosauropoda.

    salgado1997a