Fun Gasosaurus Facts For Kids

Moumita Dutta
Jan 18, 2023 By Moumita Dutta
Originally Published on Nov 18, 2021
Edited by Luca Demetriou
Gasosaurus lived during the middle Jurassic period
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Age: 3-18
Read time: 6.5 Min

Gasosaurus (Gasosaurus constructus) was a predatory group of theropods that roamed in this world millions of years ago. Their fossils were uncovered during the construction of a gas company in China, and the name was given in honor of that gas company. The Gasosaurus height is not yet known; however, their length ranged from 11-13 ft (3.5-4m). These dinosaurs had very strong legs and, therefore, could probably move faster than other carnivores. They lived in this world during the middle Jurassic time and had small hands. Like most other dinosaurs, they also might have reproduced by laying eggs. After the hatching of the eggs occurred, new juveniles were born. There have been many speculations regarding the weight of this animal. Some claimed it to be 330 lb (150 kg), while, on the other hand, according to many other researchers, they might have weighed 880 lb (400 kg). They had a total number of three fingers on each hand accompanied by vicious claws, which might have helped them to catch their prey better. Some claimed Gasosaurus and Kaijiangosaurus were of the same species, but due to a lack of evidence, the theory is not yet confirmed.

If you are fascinated by the Gasosaurus, then you may want to continue reading our other amazing facts about them. If you want to learn more about different animals around the world, check out these Orolotitan facts and Aralosaurus facts too.

Gasosaurus Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Gasosaurus'?

The name 'Gasosaurus' is pronounced as Gas-oh-sore-us. It is a very unusual name to be assigned to a group of dinosaurs. The fossil remains of this dinosaur were uncovered at the construction site of a gas company, hence the unique name, which means a gas lizard. The scientific name of this animal was Gasosaurus constructus and was given by Tang Zilu and Dong Zhiming.

What type of dinosaur was a Gasosaurus?

Gasosaurus is a species of Theropod dinosaur which lived during the middle Jurassic period. It is a carnivore predator with strong legs and small hands. It had three fingers in each hand accompanied by rather ferocious claws.

In which geological period did Gasosaurus roam the earth?

Gasosaurus lived during the middle Jurassic period, which is classified as 161.2-171.6 million years ago from the present.

When did the Gasosaurus become extinct?

Little is known about the exact date when Gasosaurus became extinct. Dinosaurs, in general, were known to become extinct at the end of the Cretaceous Period, which was approximately 65 million years ago.

Where did Gasosaurus live?

Gasosaurus (gas lizard) inhabited the terrestrial regions of this world, like forests, grasslands, and wetlands, among many others. They lived during the middle Jurassic time and shared their habitat grounds with other theropods like Chuandongocoelurus and Kaijiangosaurus, as well as a few other species.

What was the Gasosaurus' habitat?

This genus lived millions of years ago in the part of the world that we now know as China. Its fossils were discovered during the construction of a gas company; that is why they were given this uncommon name, meaning gas lizard.

Who did Gasosaurus live with?

Gasosaurus lived on the land of present-day China. It shared its habitat grounds with other mid-length species of theropods like Chuandongocoelurus and Kaijiangosaurus, as well as a few other species of dinosaurs from the Lower Shaximiao Formation. Since there is a dearth of information regarding this species, we do not know more about the habitational behavior of these dinosaurs.

How long did a Gasosaurus live?

Not much content is available on the exact lifespan of these theropods. They were known to live in this world approximately 161.2-171.6 million years ago.

How did they reproduce?

Little is known about this dinosaur's reproduction process. However, dinosaurs mainly reproduced by laying eggs. After hatching of the eggs occurred, new juveniles were born.

Gasosaurus Fun Facts

What did Gasosaurus look like?

Gasosaurus was a carnivorous Theropod dinosaur. The exact weight of this species is still under consideration since some claimed it to be 880 lb (400 kg), while others claimed it to be probably 330 lb (150 kg). This dinosaur's legs were known to be strong and had rather short arms. There have been shreds of evidence that point towards it having strong jaw points. Based on the partial skeleton discovered, they were also known to have three fingers on each hand, accompanied by vicious claws.

Gasosaurus was a carnivore predator.

How many bones did a Gasosaurus have?

Since very few fossils were uncovered of this dinosaur, not much content is available on the exact number of bones of this dinosaur. According to several insights, this dinosaur is known to be among the oldest representation of the tetanuran theropods. The skull of this animal has still not been discovered, which has led many researchers to question the existence of this creature.

How did they communicate?

The exact communication process followed by this tetanuran dinosaur is not known. However, according to several speculations and insights, dinosaurs engaged in vocal communication, which involved sounds like hoots and cracking calls, and sometimes even love calls. Since they were predators by nature, they probably hunted in packs.

How big was the Gasosaurus?

The Gasosaurus size is 11-13 ft (3.5-4m). They had very strong legs but with small hands and were carnivorous by nature. Although this dinosaur shared its physical characteristics with that of the T-rex, it was much smaller in length than them.

How fast could a Gasosaurus move?

Although the exact speed of this dinosaur that lived in this world during the middle Jurassic time is not known, they were known to have strong legs. Therefore, it can be safely assumed that they were very fast, especially when they tried to hunt down on their prey.

How much did a Gasosaurus weigh?

There have been several speculations regarding the weight of this dinosaur. While some claim their weight to be 330 lb (150 kg), according to other researchers, they might have weighed 880 lb (400 kg).

What were the male and female names of the species?

There is no sex-specific name attributed to this dinosaur. A male was simply called a male Gasosaurus dinosaur, and a female was known as a female Gasosaurus dinosaur.

What would you call a baby Gasosaurus?

A baby Gasosaurus was simply known as a juvenile. Dinosaurs reproduced mainly by laying eggs. After the hatching of the eggs occurred, new juveniles were born.

What did they eat?

Based on the evidence of strong jay points that they possessed, they were termed as a carnivorous group or meat-eaters. They probably fed on other smaller animals like Yandusaurus and Damalasaurus.

How aggressive were they?

Although there is no direct evidence to prove that they were aggressive, it can be safely assumed they were. They were carnivore predators with strong legs and therefore probably aggressive, especially when it came to hunting down their prey.

Did you know...

There have been speculations that this species, with their very usual name meaning gas lizard, might not have existed at all. They lived in this world during the mid-Jurassic time. The Gasosaurus skull has yet not been discovered; therefore, the Gasosaurus skeleton is still incomplete, which might have provided deeper research.

Many researchers have, in fact, speculated that Gasosaurus (Gas lizard) and Kaijiangosaurus were the same species. Kaijiangosaurus also lived in this world during the mid-Jurassic time.

Why are they called Gasosaurus?

Very few fossils are available to shred evidence on the existence of this dinosaur. These fossils were found during the construction of a gas facility in 1985. That is why they are called by this unusual name. Tang Zilu and Dong Zhiming were two notable paleontologists who attributed the fossils under the name Gasosaurus constructus in honor of the construction company. The specimens were found in Dashanpu, China.

How strong were Gasosaurus teeth?

The Gasosaurus that roamed this world in the mid-Jurassic time was known to have strong jaw points. Based on the fossils that were recovered during the construction of the gas facility in Dashanpu, China, a few of them were laterally compressed teeth; that is, they were flattened from side to side. They are carnivores and probably preyed upon smaller animals like Yandusaurus and Damalasaurus.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Abrosaurus facts, or Huaxiaosaurus facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable stomping dinosaur coloring pages.

Main image by Zhangzhugang.

Gasosaurus Facts

What Did They Prey On?

Small animals

what Type of Animal were they?

Carnivore

Average Litter Size?

Not estimated

What Did They Look Like?

N/A

How Much Did They Weigh?

330 lb (150 kg)

Skin Type

Scales

How Long Were They?

11-13 ft (3.5-4m)

How Tall Were They?

N/A

Kingdom

Animalia

Class

Reptilia

Genus

Gasosaurus

Family

Metriacanthosauridae (Speculated)

Scientific Name

Gasosaurus constructus

What Were Their Main Threats?

Natural disasters, large predators

What Habitat Did They Live In?

Terrestrial habitats

Where Did They Live?

China
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Written by Moumita Dutta

Bachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management

Moumita Dutta picture

Moumita DuttaBachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management

A content writer and editor with a passion for sports, Moumita has honed her skills in producing compelling match reports and stories about sporting heroes. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta University, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Sports Management.

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