在1930年代晚期,中國地質學家卞美年在雲南省北部祿豐縣金山鎮大窪村挖掘化石。之後,楊鍾健加入挖掘祿豐縣化石的活動。在1941年,楊鍾健命名了許氏祿豐龍(L. huenei)。屬名是以化石發現地的祿豐縣為名,種名則是以德國古生物學家弗雷德里克·馮·休尼(Friedrich von Huene)為名[3]。正模標本(IVPP V15)是一個部分骨骼,發現於中國雲南省的下祿豐組。下祿豐組的地質年代最初被認為次三疊紀,目前更精確年代約是侏羅紀早期。
祿豐龍常被認為是種小型原蜥腳類恐龍,身長估計約6公尺[1]。如果把巨型祿豐龍算在內,祿豐龍的體型將更大。在2010年,葛瑞格利·保羅(Gregory S. Paul)估計祿豐龍的身長約9公尺,體重約2.9公噸[10]。與其他原蜥腳類相比,祿豐龍的頸部相當長,前肢相對地較短,祿豐龍被推測可能是二足動物。楊鍾健曾在1941年公佈祿豐龍的完整研究[11],但是在二次大戰期間多數遺失,造成研究上的困難。根據僅存的部分研究,可知正模標本的頭顱骨長25公分[12]。
"Lufengosaurus." In: Dodson, Peter & Britt, Brooks & Carpenter, Kenneth & Forster, Catherine A. & Gillette, David D. & Norell, Mark A. & Olshevsky, George & Parrish, J. Michael & Weishampel, David B. The Age of Dinosaurs. Publications International, LTD. p. 38. ISBN 978-0-7853-0443-2.
Young, C.-C. 1947. "On Lufengosaurus magnus Young (sp. nov.) and additional finds of Lufengosaurus huenei Young". Palaeontologia Sinica, New Series C12: 1-53
Sekiya, T. & Dong, Z. 2010. "A New Juvenile Specimen of Lufengosaurus huenei Young, 1941 (Dinosauria: Prosauropoda) from the Lower Jurassic Lower Lufeng Formation of Yunnan, Southwest China". Acta Geologica Sinica84(1): 11-21
Cooper M. The prosauropod dinosaur Massospondylus carinatus Owen from Zimbabwe: its biology, mode of life and phylogenetic significance. Occasional Papers Of The National Museums and Monuments of Rhodesia Series B Natural Sciences. 1981, 6 (10): 689–840.
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
Dong Zhiming. Dinosaurs from China. China Ocean Press, Beijing & British Museum (Natural History). 1988. ISBN 0-565-01073-5.
Dong Zhiming. Dinosaurian Faunas of China. China Ocean Press, Beijing. 1992. ISBN 3-540-52084-8.