Dongyangosaurus

• Zhejiang, People's Republic of China ( Fangyan Formation)

• Dongyangosaurus sinensis

Is a genus of sauropod dinosaur Dongyangosaurus from the Upper Cretaceous of China. The only way is Dongyangosaurus sinensis. So far, only a single, partially preserved skeleton known, was discovered in the province of Zhejiang and 2008 first described scientifically. Like all sauropods, there was a large, four-legged herbivore with a long neck.

Description

The only skeleton ( holotype, specimen number DYM 04888 ) is preserved in Dongyang Museum ( Dongyang, Zhejiang). The skeleton consists of 10 vertebrae, the sacrum, two tail vertebrae and the pelvis. All the bones are in situ on a block of stone from which they were only partially dissected. The skeleton is fully present in the original skeletal network.

Dongyangosaurus was a large sauropod, which could have reached a length of 15 meters and a height of 5 meters. The vertebrae are characterized by eye-shaped Pleurocoele (lateral cavities ) and by low and forked spinous processes. The sacrum consists of six fused sacral vertebrae. The caudal vertebrae are procoel, that is on the front of concave and convex on the back - in the living animal, the ends formed a ball and socket joint with the front and back following vertebrae. The ribs were pneumatic ( air-filled chambers with crossed ). The pubic bone, the forward facing bones of the pelvis was shorter than the rear-facing seat leg. The obturator was small and elongated.

System

The relationships of this genus are unclear. The pneumatic ribs and six sacral vertebrae suggest, however on a classification within the Titanosauriformes. This group includes the Titanosauria that Brachiosauridae and various original species.

Fund and naming

The Upper Cretaceous of Zhejiang province is known for discoveries of fossil dinosaur eggs. Skeletal remains are rare - so far only the sauropod Jiangshanosaurus from the Jinhua - formation, the theropod Chilantaisaurus zhejiangensis, and the Nodosauride Zhejiangosaurus from the Chaochuan formation have been described. Dongyangosaurus comes from the Fangyan lineup. The age of this formation is unknown, currently the early Late Cretaceous ( Cenomanian to Santonian ) is indicated as the most probable age.

The find was made in the village Baidian in the independent city of Dongyang, from which is derived the genus name. The second part of the species name, sinensis, is Greek for " from China".