Xianshanosaurus

Say it like this: “shyen-SHAHN-oh-SAWR-us”

Xianshanosaurus shijiagouensis

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

Quiz me on Xianshanosaurus

When: Early Cretaceous (Aptian · Albian) · roughly 121.4 to 100.5 million years ago
Named in: 2009 · Lü, J.; Xu, L.; Jiang, X.; Jia, S.; Li, M.; Yuan, C.; Zhang, X.; Ji, Q.
Hip height: 2.7 m · 9 ft
Length: 15 m · 49 ft
Weight: 7 tonnes
Found in: China · Haoling
Food and walking: Herbivore · Four legs
Kind: long-neck giant · Sauropod
Family branch: Somphospondyli

The story in short

In 2009, J. Lü and colleagues published the name Xianshanosaurus. The name honors a person tied to the fossil or its study.

Fossils referred to Xianshanosaurus date to the Early Cretaceous (Aptian · Albian), roughly 121.4 to 100.5 million years ago. Finds come from China, including the Haoling Formation. It was a herbivore and walked on four legs.

Published estimates put Xianshanosaurus at a length near 15 m, hips about 2.7 m high, and a body mass around 7 tonnes.

On the family tree it sits in Somphospondyli, among the sauropod dinosaurs.

Close relatives

Abdarainurus

Abdarainurus barsboldi

Late Cretaceous (Campanian) · roughly 83.6 to 72.2 million years ago

Angolatitan

Angolatitan adamastor

Late Cretaceous (Coniacian) · roughly 89.8 to 85.7 million years ago

Arkharavia

Arkharavia heterocoelica

Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) · roughly 72.2 to 66 million years ago