Shantungosaurus

Graphic representation of Shantungosaurus

• People's Republic of China, Shandong Province

Shantungosaurus is a genus of hadrosaur ( Hadrosauridae ) from the Late Cretaceous ( Maastrichtian ). First fossil remains of the genus, including shin bones were found in 1964. Later excavations were carried out in the years 1965, 1966 and 1968. The fossils were recovered from a gray-green sandstone conglomerate.

All the fossils unearthed in a single quarry, but are not included in the anatomical context. Overall, the fossil remains including partially preserved skull and parts of the rest of the skeleton were found by at least five specimens. 1993 Shantungosaurus was described by Hu Chengzhi. Only species described is Shantungosaurus giganteus.

In the Hall of the paleontological Museum of Natural History Beijing a skeleton was erected, which having a length of 14.7 meters. Shantungosaurus was so next to the North American Edmontosaurus, which it closely resembles, and Lambeosaurus the largest hadrosaur and also the largest ornithopod.

The total of 1.63 meters large skull is long and low, but the snout region is high, the rear ( posterior ) region of the skull is wide.