Lufengosaurus
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| Lufengosaurus Fossil range: Early Jurassic |
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Lufengosaurus, (Chinese: 祿豐龍 or 禄丰龙, meaning "Lufeng Lizard"), was a prosauropod dinosaur which lived during the Early Jurassic period in what is now southwestern China. At about 6 metres (20 ft) long, it was the first complete dinosaur skeleton mounted in China; a commemorative postage stamp was issued in 1958 to celebrate the event.
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[edit] Discovery and species
Named by C.C. Young in 1941, remains of the type species, L. huenei, were found in the Lower Lufeng Formation (Lower Jurassic) of Yunnan Province in China. A second species was named by Young a few years later. L. magnus was, as its name suggests, a significantly (up to 1/3rd) larger creature than L. huenei.
[edit] Classification
In 1981, Cooper[1] suggested Lufengosaurus and Yunnanosaurus were species of the South African genus Massospondylus. However, a recent reanalysis[2] of the skull of Lufengosaurus huenei establishes it as a distinct genus separate from either Massospondylus or Yunnanosaurus.
[edit] Palaeobiology
Like all prosauropods, Lufengosaurus had much longer hindlimbs than forelimbs and was probably bipedal some of the time, especially when browsing for food. It was herbivorous, although it had sharp claws (with an especially large thumb claw) and teeth. These features have been used to support claims that Lufengosaurus may have been at least partially omnivorous, but the sharp teeth witnessed in Lufengosaurus and other prosauropods are similar to those seen in iguanaian lizards - which are herbivorous.[3] Alternatively, the claws may have been used for defense or raking foliage from trees.
[edit] Other
Lufengosaurus was the first dinosaur skeleton mounted in China. When the exhibit finally opened, a stamp was issued with an image of Lufengosaurus on it.
[edit] References
- ^ 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 6(10); 689-840 (1981)
- ^ 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
- ^ Barrett, P.M. (2000). Chapter 3: Prosauropod dinosaurs and iguanas: speculations on the diets of extinct reptiles. IN: Evolution of Herbivory in Terrestrial Vertebrates ISBN 0-521-59449-9
- Dong Zhiming (1988). Dinosaurs from China. China Ocean Press, Beijing & British Museum (Natural History). ISBN 0-565-01073-5.
- Dong Zhiming (1992). Dinosaurian Faunas of China. China Ocean Press, Beijing. ISBN 3-540-52084-8.
