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Sauro Words: Dinosaurs “Ichthyosaur” to “Muttaburrasaurus”
Groups "I-M"

A Greek element that is used in various forms to create hundreds of words that mean “lizard”: sauro-, saur-, -saurus, -saurid, -saur, -sauria, -saurian. Some authorities use sauro-, -saurus, et al. as a reference to a “serpent” or a “reptile”; but it is used especially with reference to “dinosaurs”.



Bird with fish.

Could this be what an an early dinosaur bird looked like?


Ichthyosaur:
An extinct fishlike marine reptile of the order Ichthyosauria of the Triassic to the Cretaceous periods.
Ichthyosaurus:
A “fish reptile” which was a dolphin-like reptile believed to have been in what is now England, Germany, Greenland, and Alberta, Canada during the Early Jurassic to the early Cretaceous periods. It was not a dinosaur but another type of extinct reptile.
Indosaurus:
“Indian lizard” from Late Cretaceous central (Jabalpur) India. Named by paleontologists Friedrick von Huene and Charles Matley in 1933.
Inosaurus:
Means “in Tedreft lizard” from Late Cretaceous period and found in Tedreft and In Abangarit, Niger. Named by French paleontologist Albert F. de Lapparent in 1960.
Ischisaurus:
“Ischigualasco lizard” from Late Triassic Ischigualasco Valley and Triassic rock formations of northwest Argentina. This name is now known as Herrerasaurus. Named by Osvaldo A. Sauvage Reig in 1963.
Ischyrosaurus:
This nomenclature (“strong lizard”) is no longer recognized by scientists because they found that it described an animal that was previously given another name which is Pelorosaurus. Named by British paleontologist Richard Lydekker in 1888, but he attributes the name to J. W. Hulke in 1874.
Jainosaurus:
Found in India, it was a titanosaurid dinosaur that is believed to have lived during the Late Cretaceous period. Named by Adrian Paul Hunt, Martin G. Lockley, Frederic Augustus Lucas (1852-1929), and Meyer in 1995.
Jaxartosaurus:
A “Jaxartes-leg lizard” from Late Cretaceous Kazakhstan. Named by Anatoly Nicolaevich Riabinin in 1937.
Kaijiangosaurus:
The “Kai River lizard” from Middle Jurassic China. Named by Chinese paleontologist He Xinlu in 1984.
Kangnasaurus:
The “Kangna’s lizard” is the name given to a tooth and leg bone found in Early Cretaceous rocks of Little Namaqualand, South Africa. Named by paleontologist Haughton in 1915.
Keichousaurus:
An early reptile, not a dinosaur, that lived during the Triassic period. Fossils were found in Guanglin, Guizhou Province, China. Named by Chung Chien Young in 1958.
Kelmayisaurus:
A “Kelmayi lizard” from Early Cretaceous period and found in Sinkiang, Chinese Central Asia. Named by Chinese paleontologist Zhiming Dong in 1973.
Kentrosaurus:
A “pointed (spiked) lizard” from Late Jurassic Tendaguru, Tanzania, East Africa. This creature was formerly called Doryphorosaurus and Kentrurosaurus. Named by Edwin Hennig in 1915.
Kentrurosaurus:
This nomenclature (“sharp-point tailed lizard”) is no longer recognized by scientists because they found that it described an animal that was previously given another name which is Kentrosaurus.
Kimmerosaurus:
A “Kimmeridge lizard” from Late Jurassic Europe. Its name comes from Kimmeridgian Stage, Kimmeridge Clay, at Dorset, England. Named by paleontologist Barnum Brown (1873-1963) in 1981.
Klamelisaurus:
A “?? lizard” Named by Zijin Zhao in 1993.
Kotasaurus:
A “Kota [Formations] lizard” from Early Jurassic India. Named by P. Yadagiri in 1988.
Kritosaurus:
This nomenclature (“Noble lizard”) is no longer recognized by scientists because they found that it described an animal that was previously given another name which is Hadrosaurus or maybe Gryposaurus. Named by paleontologist Barnum Brown (1873-1963) in 1910.
Kronosaurus:
A “Kronos lizard” from Early Cretaceous Australia and South America. Named for Kronos, a mythical giant Titan who ruled the universe before his son Zeus overthrew him. The name Kronosaurus queenslandicus was originally proposed by J. Heber Longman in 1924 for poorly preserved but very large lower jaw fragments found near Hughendend, Queensland, Australia in 1899. Another specimen of this fossil was found in Boyaca Province, Columbia, South America. It was discovered in Queensland in 1889 by A. Crombie and it was described and named by J. Heber Longman in 1924.
Kuehneosaurus:
A very early lizard, not a dinosaur, from Late Triassic England. Named by Robert R. Reisz in 1981.
Kunmingosaurus:
A “?? lizard” from ?? Named by Zijin Zhao in 1986.
Labrosaurus:
This nomenclature (“greedy lizard”) is no longer recognized by scientists because they found that it described an animal that was previously given another name which is Allosaurus. Named by Othniel Charles Marsh (1831-1899) in 1879.
Lambeosaurus, Lambeosaurine:
“Lambe’s lizard” from Late Cretaceous Alberta, Montana, and Baja California. It was named to honor Lawrence M. Lambe, a Canadian fossil hunter, in 192
3. Formerly known as Stephanosaurus Named by William A. Parks in 1923.
Lametasaurus:
“Lameta lizard” from Late Cretaceous Lameta beds of central India. Named by Charles A. Matley in 1923.
Lanasaurus:
A “wool lizard” from Late Triassic (or perhaps Early Jurassic) Orange Free State, South Africa. Named by Christopher E. Gow in 1975.
Lancangjiangosaurus:
A “?? lizard” from ?? Named by Zijin Zhao in 1986.
Laosaurus:
This nomenclature ( “stone lizard”) is no longer recognized by scientists because they found that it described an animal that was previously given another name which is Othnielia and Dryosaurus. Named by Othniel Charles Marsh (1831-1899) in 1878.
Laplatasaurus:
“La Plata lizard” from Late Cretaceous La Plata, Argentina; India, and Madagascar. Named by German paleontologist Friedrich von Huene in 1927.
Lapparentosaurus:
“Lapparent’s lizard” from Middle Jurassic. Named by Argentinian paleontologist José Bonaparte in 1986.
Lariosaurus:
A “Nothosaur” from Middle Triassic Spain. It was a reptile, not a dinosaur, with flipper-like limbs and it lived both on land and in water.
Leaellynasaura:
“Leaellyn’s lizard” from Early Cretaceous Australia. Named by Thomas Rich and Patricia Vickers-Rich in 198
9. It was named for their daughter, Leaellyn. The suffix, saura, is the feminine form in Greek.
Leipsanosaurus:
This nomenclature (“remains [remainder] lizard”) is no longer recognized by scientists because they found that it described an animal that was previously given another name which is Struthiosaurus. Named by Franz Baron Nopcsa in 1918.
Lepidosaurs:
A subgroup of reptiles that includes snakes and lizards.
Lesothosaurus:
“Lesotho lizard” from Late Jurassic or Early Jurassic Lesotho, southern Africa. It was an early ornithopod, a small, fast, bipedal plan eater. Named by British paleontologist Peter M. Galton in 1978.
Lexovisaurus:
“Lexovix lizard” from Middle Jurassic England and France. Its name comes from an ancient Gallic tribe, Lexovi, of Lyons, France. Named by Robert Hoffstetter in 1957.
Limnosaurus:
This nomenclature (“marsh lizard”) is no longer recognized by scientists because they found that it described an animal that was previously given another name which is Telmatosaurus. Named by Nopcsa in 1899/Othniel Charles Marsh (1831-1899) in 1872.
Loncosaurus:
“Lonco lizard” from Late Cretaceouis southern Argentina. Named by Carlos Ameghino in 1898.
Loricosaurus:
An “armored lizard” or “cuirass lizard” from Late Cretaceous southern Argentina. The name comes from Latin, coriaceus, corium, “of leather”; therefore, armor for protecting the back and breast. Named by German paleontologist Friedrich von Huene in 1929.
Lorinhanosaurus:
A “Lourinha lizard” from Late Jurassic Portugal. Its name comes from Lourinha in west-central Portugal (at Peralta) where it was found. Named by Dantas, Spanish paleontologist José Sanz, Forte Da Silva, Ortega, Dos Santo, and Cachão in 1998.
Lorinhasaurus:
A “Lourinha lizard” from Late Jurassic Portugal. Named for the village of Lourhina in central-west region of Portugal (Lisbon district), abounding in remains of sauropod dinosaurs. Named by Octavio Mateus in 1998.
Lotosaurus:
A “lotus lizard” from Middle Triassic China. Its name refers to the “Lotus Kingdom” (Fuquguo), another name for Hunan province, China, where the fossils were found. Named by Yihong Zhang in 1975.
Lucianosaurus:
A “Luciano Mesa lizard” from Late Triassic Luciano Mesa, New Mexico. Named by Adrian Paul Hunt and Frederic Augustus Lucas (1852-1929) in 1994.
Luetkesaurus:
A “Luetken’s lizard” from Late Cretaceous Eastern Europe. It was named in honor of Christian Frederich Luetken (1827-1901), Danish zoologist and paleontologist. Named by W. Kiprijanoff in 1883.
Lufengosaurus:
A “Lufeng lizard” from Early Jurassic China. The name is based on the Lufeng Basin, Yunnan Province, China, where the fossil was found. Named by Chinese paleontologist Yang Zhong-jian (also known as: Chung Chien Young) in 1941.
Lukousaurus:
A “Lu-kou Bridge lizard” from Early Jurassic southern China. The name refers to the famous Lokou Bridge in the vicinity of Peiping (Beijing) where the Sino-Japanese war was started and which has remained as a symbol of the struggle against the Japanese invasion. The fossil was found in the Lufeng Basin, Yunnan Province, China. Named by Chinese paleontologist Yang Zhong-jian (also known as: Chung Chien Young) in 1948.
Lurdusaurus:
A “heavy lizard” from Early Cretaceous Niger, West Africa. The name comes from Late Latin, lurdus, “heavy”. Named by Philippe Taquet and D. A. Russell in 1999.
Lusitanosaurus:
A “Lusitania lizard” from Early Jurassic Portugal (once called Lusitania, a Latin name for Portugal). Named by A. F. de Lapparent and G. Zyszewski in 1957.
Luticosaurus:
A “Jute lizard” from Early Cretaceous Isle of Wight. This fossil was named for the Jutes, a Germanic people who invaded the Isle of Wight during the sixth century A.D.
Lystrosaurus:
A heavily-built quadrupedal, Early Triassic reptile. Several Lystrosaurus fossils were found in Antarctica, Asia, and South Africa. Named by Edward Drinker Cope in 1870.
Macrurosaurus:
A “long-tailed lizard” from Early Cretaceous (near) Cambridge, England. British paleontologist Harry Govier Seeley (1839-1909) in 1869.
Magnosaurus:
This nomenclature (“large lizard”) is no longer recognized by scientists because they found that it described an animal that was previously given another name which is Megalosaurus. Named by German paleontologist Friedrich von Huene in 1932.
Magyarosaurus:
This nomenclature (“Magyar lizard” [named for the Magyar, the main ehnic group in Hungary]) is no longer recognized by scientists because they found that it described an animal that was previously given another name which is Titanosaurus. Named by German paleontologist Friedrich von Huene in 1932.
Maiasaurus, Maiasaura:
Means “good-mother lizard” from Late Cretaceous Montana and other areas of North America. A reference to evidence of possible extended parental care given the young when fifteen babies were found in a fossil nest, suggesting that food must have been brought to them. Named by U. S. paleontologists John R. Horner and Robert Makela in 1979.
Majungasaurus:
“Majunga lizard” from Late Cretaceous rocks in the Majunga desert in northwest Madagascar and perhaps also in Egypt. Named by Rene Lavocat in 1955.
Malawisaurus:
“Malawi lizard” from Early Cretaceous Malawi, Africa. It was discovered by Dr. Louis Jacobs. Named by Louis L. Jacobs, Dale A. Winkler, William R. Downs, and Elizabeth M. Gomani in 1993.
Maleevosaurus:
“Maleev’s lizard” from Late Cretaceous Mongolia. It was named in honor of Evgenii Aleksandrovich Maleev (1915-1966), a Russian paleontologist who described the specimen as “Gorgosaurus” novojilovi in 195
5. Named by Kenneth Carpenter (Denver Museum of Natural History) in 1992.
Mamenchisaurus:
“Mamenchi lizard” from Late Jurassic south-central China. The name is broken down as, ma, “horse” plus men, “gate” plus qi (or xi), “stream”. The fossil was named for the Mamenchi Ferry at Jinshajiang (upper Chang Jiang or Yangtze, River; Sichuan Province, China, near where it was found. Named by Chinese paleontologist Yang Zhong-jian (also known as: Chung Chien. Young) in 1954.
Mandschurosaurus:
A “Manchurian lizard” from Late Cretaceous northern China, Laos, and Mongolia. It was the first Chinese dinosaur to be named when it was discovered in 191
4. This creatue was formerly known as Gilmoreosaurus. Named by Anatoly Nicolaevich Riabinin in 1930.
Maresaurus:
A “sea lizard” from Middle Jurassic South America. Named by Z. B. de Gasparini in 199
7. It was named to indicate a marine pliosauroid found in the Neuquen Basin, central-western Argentina. Named by Argentinian paleontologist Zulma N. Gasparini in 1997.
Marshosaurus:
A “Marsh’s lizard” from Late Jurassic North America. It was named in honor of Othniel Charles Marsh (1831-1899), a noted American paleontoloist and dinosaur scholar. Named by U. S. paleontologist James H. Madsen in 1976.
Masitisisauropus:
A “Marsh’s lizard” from Late Triassic through Early Jurassic Lesotho, South Africa. This name is an ichnotaxon footprint, not an animal. It was named by Paul Ellenberger in 1974.
Mauisaurus:
A “Maui’s lizard” from Late Cretaceous New Zealand. It was named for Maui, a Maori demi-god and hero, to indicate a plesiosaur found in New Zealand, home of the Maori people. Named by Harry Govier Seeley in 1877.
Megacervixosaurus:
A “?? lizard” from ?? Named by Zijin Zhao in 1983.
Megalansaurus:
A reptile, not a dinosaur, from the Late Triassic period.
Megalneusaurus:
A “great-swimming lizard” from Late Jurassic Nouth America (Wyoming). Named by W. C. Knight in 1895.
Megalosaurids:
This “great lizard” is from Middle and Late Jurassic period onward and found in Europe and in other regions of the world.
Megalosaurus:
A “great” or “big lizard” from Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous periods and found in Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia. It is said to be the first dinosaur bone on record to be discovered (1677) in England. This creature was previously known as Magnosaurus and Nuthetes. Named by Dean William Buckland (1784-1856) in 182
4. Buckland was a British fossil hunter, clergyman, and Oxford don (a Reader in Geology and Mineralogy) who discovered Megalosaurus in 181
9. It is supposed to be the first dinosaur to be described scientifically and the first theropod dinosaur discovered.
Melanorosaurus:
Translated as “black mountain lizard” from Late Triassic South Africa. Named for Thaba ‘Nyama, “Black Mountain”, in the Cape Province of South Africa, where the fossil was found. Named by paleontologist Sydney H. Haughton in 1924.
Mesosaurus:
A “middle lizard” was an odd, fresh-water dwelling reptile, not a dinosaur, that lived from the Late Carboniferous period to the Early Permian period. It was one of the first aquatic reptiles whose fossils were found in South Africa and South America. Named by Francois-Louis Gervais in 1865.
Metriacanthosaurus:
A “moderately-spined lizard” from Late Jurassic southern England. Named by British paleontologist Cyril A. Walker in 1964.
Microdontosaurus:
A “?? lizard” from ?? Named by Zijin Zhao in 1983.
Microhadrosaurus:
A “tiny (small) Hadrosaurus lizard” from Late Cretaceous China. Named by Chinese paleontologist Zhiming Dong in 1979.
Micropachycephalosaurus:
A “tiny thick-headed lizard” or “small pachycephalosaurid” from Late Cretaceous China. Although it is one of the smallest dinosaurs, it has the longest dinosaur name. Named by Chinese paleontologist Zhiming Dong in 1978.
Mixosaurus:
An Ichthyosaur lived during Middle Triassic Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. It was not a dinosaur but another type of extinct reptile.
Mongolosaurus:
“Mongolian lizard” from Late Cretaceous Inner Mongolia. Another source says it is from the Early Cretaceous period. Named by U. S. paleontologist Charles Whitney Gilmore in 1933.
Monkonosaurus:
A “Monko lizard” from Late Jurassic or Early Cretaceous Tibet. Named for Monko County in eastern Tibet, where the fossil was found. Named by Chinese paleontologist Zhiming Dong in 1990, but he attributed the name to Zijin Zhao.
Monolophosaurus:
A “single-crested lizard” from Middle (or Late) Jurassic North West China. From Greek monos, “one” plus lophos, “crest”; referring to the single crest on the midline of the skull roof of a medium-sized carnivorous dinosaur. Formerly referred to as Jiangjunmiaosaurus. Named by Chinese paleontologist Xijin Zhao and Canadian paleontologist Philip J. Currie in 1994.
Morenosaurus:
A “Moreno lizard” from Late Cretaceous North America. Its name comes from Anglicized Spanish moreno, “brown”. It is named for the Moreno Formation, Maastrichtian, of the Panoche Hills, Fresno County, California. Named by U. S. paleontologist Samuel Paul Welles in 1943.
Morinosaurus:
This nomenclature (“Morini lizard” [an ancient people of northern France]) is no longer recognized by scientists because they found that it described an animal that was previously given another name which is Pelorosaurus. Named by H. E. Sauvage in 1874.
Morosaurus:
A “stupid lizard” referring to the small size of the brain compared to the huge size of the body in sauropods. Now known as Camarasaurus. Named by Othniel Charles Marsh (1831-1899) in 1878.
Mosasaur:
A “Meuse lizard”, named for the Meuse River in Holland where they were first located. They are believed to have lived during the Late Cretaceous period. The first Mosasaur was found in the Netherlands in 1780.
Mosasaurus:
A giant, meat-eating marine reptile, not a dinosaur, that lived during the Late Cretaceous period and one was found in Onion Creek, Texas. It was found in 1934 by a University of Texas geology student, Clyde Ikins. The first Mosasaur was found in the Netherlands in 1780 and named in 1822 by Wiliam Daniel Conybeare.
Muraenosaurus:
A “moray eel lizard” from Late Jurassic Europe (England and France) and maybe West Indies and South America. This fossil was named for the moray eel with reference to the reptile’s long neck, but it was not a dinosaur. Named by Harry Govier Seeley in 1874.
Mussaurid:

Mussaurus:
A hatchling prosauropod “mouse lizard” from Late Triassic Argentina. Named for its tiny size. Named by Argentinian paleontologist José Bonaparte and Martin Vince in 1979.
Muttaburrasaurus:
A “Muttaburra lizard” from Early Cretaceous Australia. This fossil was found close to the township of Muttaburra, central Queensland, Australia; near the fossil site Ornithopoda Iquanodontidae. Named by Alan Bartholomai and Ralph E. Molnar in 1981.