Shunosaurus

Taxobox
name = "Shunosaurus"
fossil_range = Mid Jurassic

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image_caption = "Shunosaurus lii"
image_width=240px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
superordo = Dinosauria
ordo = Saurischia
subordo = Sauropodomorpha
infraordo = Sauropoda
familia = Cetiosauridae
genus = "Shunosaurus"
genus_authority = Dong, Zhou, & Zhang, 1983
subdivision_ranks=Species
subdivision=
*"S. lii" Dong, Zhou, and Zhang, 1983 (type)
*"S. ziliujingensis" Anonymous, 1986 ("nomen nudum")

"Shunosaurus", meaning "Shu Lizard", is a genus of sauropod dinosaur from Middle Jurassic (Bathonian–Callovian) beds in Sichuan Province in China, 170 million years ago. The name derives from "Shu", an ancient name for Sichuan. It was collected from the Lower Shaximiao Formation in Dashanpu, Zigong. It shared the local Middle Jurassic landscape with other sauropods "Datousaurus", "Omeisaurus" and "Protognathosaurus", the possible ornithopod "Xiaosaurus", and the early stegosaur "Huayangosaurus", as well as the carnivorous "Gasosaurus".

Discovery and species

First described in 1983, "Shunosaurus" is now known from several complete or near-complete skeletons, making it anatomically one of the best known sauropods. The type species, "S. lii", was described by Dong, Zhou, and Zhang in 1983. A second species, "S. ziliujingensis", has never been formally described, and remains a "nomen nudum". "Shunosaurus" skeletons are on display at the Zigong Dinosaur Museum in Zigong, Sichuan Province, and the Beijing Museum of Natural History.

Classification

"Shunosaurus" is classified as a basal eusauropod. It is related to "Rhoetosaurus" from Queensland in Australia.

Paleobiology

At around 10 metres long, "Shunosaurus" was fairly short-necked (for a sauropod) and had a short deep skull, with fairly robust spatulate teeth. In 1989 its tail was found to have ended in a club, [Dong Z, Peng G, Huang D. 1989. [The discovery of the bony tail club of sauropods] . Vertebrata Palasiatica 27: 219–224.] probably used for fending off enemies.

References

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