在1930年代晚期,中国地质学家卞美年在云南省北部禄丰县金山镇大洼村挖掘化石。之后,杨锺健加入挖掘禄丰县化石的活动。在1941年,杨锺健命名了许氏禄丰龙(L. huenei)。属名是以化石发现地的禄丰县为名,种名则是以德国古生物学家弗雷德里克·冯·休尼(Friedrich von Huene)为名[3]。正模标本(IVPP V15)是一个部分骨骼,发现于中国云南省的下禄丰组。下禄丰组的地质年代最初被认为次三叠纪,目前更精确年代约是侏罗纪早期。
禄丰龙常被认为是种小型原蜥脚类恐龙,身长估计约6公尺[1]。如果把巨型禄丰龙算在内,禄丰龙的体型将更大。在2010年,葛瑞格利·保罗(Gregory S. Paul)估计禄丰龙的身长约9公尺,体重约2.9公吨[10]。与其他原蜥脚类相比,禄丰龙的颈部相当长,前肢相对地较短,禄丰龙被推测可能是二足动物。杨锺健曾在1941年公布禄丰龙的完整研究[11],但是在二次大战期间多数遗失,造成研究上的困难。根据仅存的部分研究,可知正模标本的头颅骨长25公分[12]。
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Young, C.-C. 1947. "On Lufengosaurus magnus Young (sp. nov.) and additional finds of Lufengosaurus huenei Young". Palaeontologia Sinica, New Series C12: 1-53
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Barrett PM, Upchurch P, Xiao-lin W. Cranial osteology of Lufengosaurus huenei Young (Dinosauria: Prosauropoda) from the Lower Jurassic of Yunnan, People’s Republic of China. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 2005, 25 (4): 806–822.
Young, C.-C. 1941. "A complete osteology of Lufengosaurus huenei Young (gen. et sp. nov.) from Lufeng, Yunnan, China". Palaeontologia Sinica, New Series C7: 1-59
Barrett, P.M., Upchurch, P. & Xiao-lin, W. 2005. "Cranial osteology of Lufengosaurus huenei Young (Dinosauria: Prosauropoda) from the Lower Jurassic of Yunnan, People’s Republic of China". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology25(4): 806-822
Barrett, P.M. (2000). Chapter 3: Prosauropod dinosaurs and iguanas: speculations on the diets of extinct reptiles. IN: Evolution of Herbivory in Terrestrial VertebratesISBN 978-0-521-59449-3
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Dong Zhiming. Dinosaurian Faunas of China. China Ocean Press, Beijing. 1992. ISBN 3-540-52084-8.