Wuerhosaurus

Wuerhosaurus homheni

Wuerhosaurus ate plants and walked on four legs. It lived in the Early Cretaceous. Bones have been found in China.

Quiz me on Wuerhosaurus

When: Early Cretaceous (Barremian · Aptian) · roughly 125.8 to 113.2 million years ago
Named in: 1973 · Dong, Z.
Hip height: Not established
Length: 7 m · 23 ft
Weight: 4 tonnes
Found in: China · Lianmuqin
Food and walking: Herbivore · Four legs
Kind: plated dinosaur · Stegosaur
Family branch: Stegosaurinae

The story in short

Wuerhosaurus was formally named in 1973 by Z. Dong. The name means “wuerho lizard.”

It lived in the Early Cretaceous (Barremian · Aptian), roughly 125.8 to 113.2 million years ago. Finds come from China, including the Lianmuqin Formation. It was a herbivore and walked on four legs.

Published estimates put Wuerhosaurus at a length near 7 m and a body mass around 4 tonnes.

On the family tree it sits in Stegosaurinae, among the plated dinosaurs.

Close relatives

Hesperosaurus

Hesperosaurus mjosi

Late Jurassic · Early Cretaceous (Oxfordian–Berriasian) · roughly 161.5 to 137.1 million years ago

Jiangjunosaurus

Jiangjunosaurus junggarensis

Middle Jurassic · Late Jurassic (Callovian · Oxfordian) · roughly 165.3 to 154.8 million years ago

Loricatosaurus

Loricatosaurus priscus

Middle Jurassic (Callovian) · roughly 165.3 to 161.5 million years ago