Shringasaurus

Shringasaurus (meaning "horned lizard", from Sanskrit शृङ्ग (śṛṅga), "horn", and Ancient Greek σαῦρος (sauros), "lizard") is an extinct genus of archosauromorph reptile from the Middle Triassic (Anisian) of India. It is known from the type and only known species, S. indicus. Shringasaurus is known from the Denwa Formation in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Shringasaurus was an allokotosaur, a group of unusual herbivorous reptiles from the Triassic, and is most closely related to the smaller and better known Azendohsaurus in the family Azendohsauridae. Like some ceratopsid dinosaurs, Shringasaurus had two large horns over its eyes that faced up and forwards from its skull. These horns were likely used for display and potentially during intraspecific combat between Shringasaurus, much like what has been suggested for the horns of ceratopsids such as Triceratops. Shringasaurus also bears convergent physical similarities to sauropodomorph dinosaurs, such as its long neck, its shoulders and forelimbs, and the shape of its teeth. Shringasaurus likely occupied a similar ecological niche as a large browsing herbivore before such dinosaurs had evolved.