who discovered this species?
Joseph Millard Orpen
History of discovery
This material, a collection of 56 bones, was found in 1853 by the government surveyor Joseph Millard Orpen in the Upper Elliot Formation at Harrismith, South Africa 
what is massospondylus? Genus of sauropodomorph dinosaur
Richard Owen Sir Richard Owen Joseph Millard Orpen
Massospondylus Massospondylus Massospondylus
History of discovery Introduction History of discovery
Richard Owen  It was described by Sir Richard Owen in 1854 from remains discovered in South Africa, and is thus one of the first dinosaurs to have been named. This material, a collection of 56 bones, was found in 1853 by the government surveyor Joseph Millard Orpen in the 
wiki:12654509
Massospondylus [SEP] History of discovery
The first fossils of "Massospondylus" were described by paleontologist Sir Richard Owen in 1854. Originally, Owen did not recognize these finds as those of a dinosaur; instead he attributed them to "large, extinct, carnivorous reptiles" that were related to today's lizards, chameleons and iguanas. This material, a collection of 56 bones, was found in 1853 by the government surveyor Joseph Millard Orpen in the Upper Elliot Formation at Harrismith, South Africa and was donated to the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons in London. Among the remains were vertebrae from the neck, back, and tail; a shoulder blade; a humerus; a partial pelvis; a femur; a tibia; and bones of the hands and feet.