Fun Gongxianosaurus Facts For Kids
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Remember those giant dinosaurs in 'Jurassic Park'?
That dinosaur is a sauropod. This article tells you about one sauropod dinosaur that inhabited Asia.
Gongxianosaurus is a genus of the sauropod family. The remains of this extinct land-dwelling dinosaur were unearthed during a geological expedition in Sichuan Province, China.
Not one, but three individuals of this species were found in the same location.
While none of the specimens were complete, combined fragments of each of the individuals helped researchers study and describe this herbivore from the early Jurassic period. The fragments revealed Gongxianosaurus to be an early example of a sauropod, however, these dinosaurs lacked many of the physical characteristics visible in this clade.
Continue reading to learn more about this new genus of sauropods from the Jurassic.
Gongxianosaurus Interesting Facts
How do you pronounce 'Gongxianosaurus'?
Gongxianosaurus is pronounced as 'Gong-ze-an-o-sore-us'.
What type of dinosaur was a Gongxianosaurus?
Gongxianosaurus shibeiensis is a genus of basal sauropods.
In which geological period did the Gongxianosaurus roam the earth?
These prehistoric creatures inhabited the earth during the Toarcian stage of the Early Jurassic Period (182.7-174.1 million years ago).
When did Gongxianosaurus become extinct?
Gongxianosaurus probably became extinct by the end of the Toarcian period (174.1 million years ago).
Where did a Gongxianosaurus live?
Gongxianosaurus shibeiensis is a ground-dwelling dinosaur.
What was Gongxianosaurus' habitat?
Gongxianosaurus's fossils were uncovered from the Lower Jurassic Dongyuemiao Member of the Ziliujing Formation at Gongxian Co., Sichuan Province, China.
Who did Gongxianosaurus live with?
Many species have been recovered from the Ziliujing Formation of the Lower Jurassic Period where the Gongxianosaurus specimen was found. This includes bivalves, phyllopods, fish, sarcopterygii, plesiosaurs, testudinata, crocodrylomorphs, and other dinosaurs. So, it may be a possibility that the Gongxianosaurus shibeiensis may have coexisted with these species. It is not known how territorial they were.
How long did a Gongxianosaurus live?
The lifespan of the Gongxianosaurus is not clear.
How did they reproduce?
Gongxianosaurus being dinosaurs would have been oviparous, reproducing by laying eggs. But there is no direct evidence of their reproductive behavior.
Gongxianosaurus Fun Facts
What did a Gongxianosaurus look like?
A sauropod dinosaur is generally characterized by its overall long neck and reptile-like long tail. Gongxianosaurus looked like other sauropods differing in height and weight. Fossils of the Gongxianosaurus shibeiensis were more or less complete only the skull and the hand of the dinosaur were missing.
The species was described as an early sauropod that was average to large in length. The teeth of the dinosaur were spoon-shaped, however, lacked the serrations.
The simple cervical vertebrae were flat at both ends and the ribs were short. The forelimb of the Gongxianosaurus was at least 70-75 % taller than the hindlimb. It is not known if they were colorful.
How many bones did a Gongxianosaurus have?
At least three individuals were recovered from the excavation site. Based on the bones, two are adults and one was a juvenile.
Due to poor articulation, it was difficult to distinguish between the fragments of the two adults.
Two right premaxillae, nearly complete left and right mandibles, many isolated teeth, incomplete and disarticulated cervical, dorsal, sacral, and caudal vertebrae, complete pectoral girdle, forelimb, pelvic girdle, hind limb, hindfoot, isolated sternal elements, ribs, and gastralia are the features identified from the Gongxianosaurus fossils.
How did they communicate?
The communication style of these early sauropods has yet to be ascertained.
How big was a Gongxianosaurus?
According to Xinlu He et al (1998), the recovered adult specimens of the Gongxianosaurus shibeiensis were at least 46 ft (14 m). Compared to other sauropods like Brontosaurus 72 ft (22 m), the Gongxianosaurus's size was average.
How fast could a Gongxianosaurus move?
This new species of sauropod was considered to be actively mobile. However, the speed by which the Gongxianosaurus shibeiensis moved is yet to be ascertained.
How much did a Gongxianosaurus weigh?
Even though Gongxianosaurus is a herbivore, this dinosaur was a sauropod, which is a family of huge dinosaurs. The actual weight of this new species has yet to be ascertained.
What were the male and female names of the species?
The male and female of the species would be referred to as adults.
What would you call a baby Gongxianosaurus?
The baby of this species would be referred to as a juvenile.
What did they eat?
The Gongxianosaurus shibeiensis was a herbivore. The exact nature of plants and grass consumed by these sauropod dinosaurs has yet to be discerned.
How aggressive were they?
Found in the early Jurassic period, it is unclear whether these sauropods were aggressive and greedy or not. We can't say if they used to bite.
Did you know...
Gongxianosaurus â€translates to the Gong Xian lizardâ€. The type species was named after the location where the paleontologists recovered the fossils- Shibei village in Gong County.
This new species of dinosaurs was first named and described in the year 1998 by Xinlu He et al in their study titled- A new species of sauropod from the Early Jurassic of Gongxian Co., Sichuan.
In 2000, another study about the Gongxianosaurus was published with no reference to the existing description. One of the conclusions of the study was that some of the bone fragments may belong to a second type species of the Gongxianosaurus.
The Gongxianosaurus has been studied based on the three individuals found in the same site.
The abundant nature of the Gongxianosaurus shibeiensis fossils makes it one of the best dinosaur fossils from Early Jurassic Sauropoda. These dinosaurs were more evolved than Melanorosaurus,†‬but less evolved compared to Vulcanodon.â€â€¬
As sauropod dinosaurs from the Jurrasic period, these are considered in the middle of evolutionary development.
Certain characteristics of this dinosaur such as the scapula morphology display a closer link to prosauropods from Yunnan Province.
**We've been unable to source an image of Gongxianosaurus and have used an image of Edmontonia instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of Gongxianosaurus, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at hello@kidadl.com.
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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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