Pronunciation: tuh-ZOO-duh-SOR-us
Meaning: Tazouda (Morocco) lizard
Author/s: Allain et al. (2004)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Ouarzazate, Morocco
Discovery Chart Position: #546
Tazoudasaurus naimi
Tazoudasaurus is a heavy lizard, literally because of its primitive solid bones without the honeycomb lightening of later sauropods and literaturally (is that a real word?) because it's a member of Gravisauria—the "Heavy lizards". One of the most complete Early Jurassic sauropods, Tazoudasaurus bears a striking resemblance to Vulcanodon, differing only in the features of its neck among compareable parts, and the pair are united in a two-saur-clade known as Vulcanodontidae.
(Slender Tazouda Lizard)
Etymology
Tazoudasaurus is derived from "Tazouda" (the area where it was discovered) and the Greek "sauros" (lizard).
The species epithet, naimi, means "slender" in Arabic, in reference to the animal's small size for a sauropod.
Discovery
The remains of Tazoudasaurus were discovered in the Toundoute Continental Series, Douar of Tazouda, "locality A", near the village of Toundoute, Ouarzazate Province, High Atlas of Morocco, by a team of scientists from North Africa, France, Switzerland and the United States. The holotype (2000-1) is a partial skeleton.
