Shantungosaurus
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Extinct (fossil)
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| Shantungosaurus giganteus Hu, 1973 |
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Shantungosaurus, meaning "Shandong Lizard", is a genus of flat headed hadrosaurid dinosaurs found in the Late Cretaceous Wangshi Formation of the Shandong Peninsula in China. The composite skeleton mounted at the Geological Institute of China in Beijing measures 14.72 meters (49 feet) in length, weighing around 7 tons, making it one of the heaviest hadrosaurs. Like all hadrosaurs its beak was toothless, but its jaws were packed with around 1,500 tiny chewing teeth. A large hole near its nostrils may have been covered by a loose flap, which could be inflated to make sounds.
[edit] Discovery and species
Discovered in 1964, Shantungosaurus is known from 5 incomplete skeletons. Based on the material known to date, it is very similar to, and shares many characters with Edmontosaurus.
[edit] References
- Dong Zhiming (1992). Dinosaurian Faunas of China. China Ocean Press, Beijing. ISBN 3-540-52084-8.
- Mallam, John (2003). Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs. Parragon Publishing, UK. 157.
