Fun Guanlong Facts For Kids

The Guanlong, sometimes referred to as the dragon, was a carnivore theropod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic period. The Guanlong dinosaur resembles a tyrannosaur and was considered too primitive, or early, for their own kind to be discovered. The name Guanlong is a Chinese word that means 'crown dragon'.

The Guanlong name discovery credit is given to Xu Xing, Clark, Forster, Norell, Erickson, Eberth, Jia, and Zhao in 2006. It was discovered by a scientist team from George Washington University and the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology. They found that the dinosaur was a partially articulated adult, almost juveniles, from the two specimens description one being the holotype IVPP V14531 and the other specimen from the fully articulated complete remains.

The two specimens were dated back to the Oxfordian stage of the Shishugou Formation near the Dzungaria region in China. It is believed that these dinosaurs existed 163-158 million years ago. They preyed on small dinosaurs, animals, and mammals. They were often compared to Tyrannosaurs rex on the basis of their food habits. These tyrannosaurs had larger arms and a large crest on their skull compared to later tyrannosaurs.

If you enjoyed reading about these tyrannosaur dinosaur species, then do read and explore some interesting fun facts about other dinosaurs, such as Haplocanthosaurus and Aetonyx.

How do you pronounce 'Guanlong'?

The pronunciation for the word Guanlong is 'Gwon-long'.

What type of dinosaur was a Guanlong?

The Guanlong was a small theropod tyrannosaur which was an unusual or too primitive dinosaur. These Late Jurassic period tyrannosaurs with a large crest on their skull are known as the crown dragons. These dinosaurs clade within the Dinosauria, Saurischia, and Theropoda. They belong to the family of Proceratosauridae. The type species of the genus Guanlong is Guanlong wucaii. They were the earliest discovered basal tyrannosauroid. The teeth of Guanlong and Tyrannosaur rex were the same and are considered the same in their food habits.

In which geological period did the Guanlong roam the earth?

The Guanlong the tyrannosaur roamed around the earth during the Late Jurassic period of the Oxfordian stage, 163 million to 158 million years ago.

When did the Guanlong become Extinct?

The Guanlong became Extinct by the end of the Late Jurassic period of the Oxfordian stage, around 163 million years ago.

Where did Guanlong live?

Guanlong fossils were discovered in present-day Asia. This dinosaur with a long head crest lived in the Dzungaria region of China. The fossils remains were discovered from the Chinese Shishugou Formation site where a team of scientists from George Washington University and the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology had joined the expedition.

What was Guanlong's habitat?

Guanlongs lived on the Asian continent in China. These Guanlongs were believed to live in the woodlands of China where they could search for their prey, such as small animals, dinosaurs, and mammals. The climatic conditions varied from season to season and they dwelled themselves in the conifers and giant ferns.

Who did Guanlong live with?

The Guanlong basal tyrannosaur lived in packs consisting of adults and juveniles. As they were the earliest tyrannosaurs, they preyed in packs. It is assumed that these dinosaurs could bring down large animals of their own size if they hunted in a group. The exact number of their pack is unknown and must have varied.

How long did a Guanlong live?

The Guanlong lived for around 12 years. The juvenile is believed to have matured at the age of seven and the adult could probably live for 12-15 years.

How did they reproduce?

The complete information about their reproduction is not known, but this dinosaur species had primitive pelvic features. They must have reproduced by mating and laying eggs in clutches. As these dinosaurs were carnivores, they must have been aggressive too, in the context of the protection of their babies, especially the female species. The male of the species must have used their feathers to show their dominancy and lure the female species in order to mate and reproduce.

What did Guanlong look like?

The Guanlong's link with Tyrannosaurus rex is very prevalent in regards to their teeth formation. These two species of dinosaurs had the same type of teeth and were relatives of one other. The Guanlong was a bipedal saurischian theropod with large arms and a large crest on its head. Though they were not large in size, they had the display primitive features that could bring down a large animal. They had long three fingers on their front hands. Many times, they are also related to the relative Dilong in their description, who was assumed to have displayed features of a primitive coat of feathers. Mostly like other theropods, they were also assumed to have feathers. The crest on their head was filled with an air sac.

How many bones did a Guanlong have?

The exact number of bones in these species is unknown and has not been counted by scientists.

How did they communicate?

As these species were carnivores, they must have been ferocious with their features, as well as, with their communication. They must have used their vocal and chemical cues to defend themselves from predators because of their small size. They must also have made use of tactile cues to lure the opposite gender.

How big was the Guanlong?

The crown dragon, Guanlong, was 10 ft (3 m) long and 3 ft (1 m) tall.

How fast could a Guanlong move?

There is not much information available about their moving speed. However, these dinosaurs must have been fast runners due to their light weight and carnivorous eating habits, necessitating the need for them to catch their prey.

How much did a Guanlong weigh?

The Guanlong weighed around 100-200 lb (45-90.7 kg).

What were the male and female names of the species?

The male and female of the species did not have sex-specific names.

What would you call a baby Guanlong?

The babies of Guanlong were called hatchlings or juveniles.

What did they eat?

The Guanlong wucaii was carnivorous and its diet consisted of mammals, small animals, and dinosaurs, such as Agilisaurus and Ambopteryx.

How aggressive were they?

The Guanlong wucaii must have been aggressive dinosaurs as they were carnivores and must have also been territorial for the protection of their hatchlings from predators such as Yangchuanosaurus and must have bitten when provoked as well. The similarities between Tyrannosaurus rex and Guanlong can also be seen in the context of their aggressive behavior.

Did you know...

The Guanlong is a tyrannosaur because of its primitive features which resemble other dinosaurs, such as their teeth and pelvis, which are joined by a basal which most of the earliest tyrannosaurs had. The feather coat and other features of their description might be different from the tyrannosaurus of the Late Cretaceous period.

Guanlongs are assumed to be descended from smaller theropods such as Coelurosaurs.

The Tyrannosaurus rex was called the king of dinosaurs and represented one of the largest theropods. They lived in present-day western North America on an island called Laramidia. Their fossils date back to the Upper Cretaceous period.

Why are they called Guanlong?

The meaning of the Chinese word Guanlong is 'crown dragon'. They have been named so because of their large, flashy, head crest. The type species, Guanlong wucaii, also has a meaning. The word 'wucaii' refers to the five colors of the rocks where they were found.

Who discovered Guanlong?

The Guanlong name discovery credit is given to Xu Xing, Clark, Forster, Norell, Erickson, Eberth, Jia and Zhao in 2006. It was discovered by a scientist team from George Washington University and the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other creatures from our Stegoceras facts, or Monoclonius facts for kids.

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