Ledumahadi

Le-du-mah-had-e.
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Claire Morris

Marine Paleontologist

Claire Morris has dedicated her career to exploring the depths of prehistoric oceans. Her fascination with ancient marine life has led her to discover significant fossils that illuminate the evolution of early sea creatures.

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Name

Ledumahadi (giant thunderclap).

Phonetic

Le-du-mah-had-e.

Named By

B.‭ ‬W.‭ ‬McPhee,‭ ‬R.‭ ‬B.‭ ‬J.‭ ‬Benson,‭ ‬J.‭ ‬Botha-Brink,‭ ‬E.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Bordy,‭ ‬J.‭ & ‬N.‭ ‬Choiniere‭ ‬-‭ ‬2018.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Saurischia,‭ ‬Sauropodomorpha,‭ ‬Sauropoda,‭ ‬Lessemsauridae.

Diet

Herbivore.

Species

L.‭ ‬mafube‭

Size

‭Estimated about 10 meters long.

Known locations

South Africa,‭ ‬Free State Province‭ ‬-‭ ‬Elliot Formation.

Time Period

Hettangian of the Jurassic.

Fossil representation

Partial post cranial remains.

In Depth

       Ledumahadi is a lessemsaurid sauropod dinosaur that lived in South Africa during the early Jurassic.‭ ‬As a member of‭ ‬the Lessemsauridae,‭ ‬Ledumahadi would have been similar to other lessemsaurid genera such as Antetonitrus,‭ ‬Lessemsaurus and Ingentia.‭ ‬Like these genera,‭ ‬Ledumahadi was not so much‭ ‬long,‭ ‬but very stocky,‭ ‬with especially well built forelimbs.‭

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A Giant Dinosaur from the Earliest Jurassic of South Africa and the Transition to Quadrupedality in Early Sauropodomorphs.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Current Biology‭ ‬28:1-9.‭ ‬-‭ ‬B.‭ ‬W.‭ ‬McPhee,‭ ‬R.‭ ‬B.‭ ‬J.‭ ‬Benson,‭ ‬J.‭ ‬Botha-Brink,‭ ‬E.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Bordy,‭ ‬J.‭ & ‬N.‭ ‬Choiniere‭ ‬-‭ ‬2018.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT