Tanius
- China ( Shandong and Heilongjiang )
- Tanius sinensis
Tanius is a genus of hadrosaur ( Hadrosauridae ) from the Upper Cretaceous ( Campanian ) of Asia. It is only the type species T. sinensis scientifically described.
Description
Tanius probably similar to Edmontosaurus, most of the front skull is unknown. Unlike most other Hadrosauriern except Gilmoreosaurus Bactrosaurus and the contact area of the zygomatic bone ( Jugale ) with the upper jaw ( maxilla ) was not or hardly widened laterally, but is stretched in the longitudinal direction.
Reference
The fossil record of Tanius probably consists of three individuals, one of which disjointed skeletons were found, and bones of the skull and skeleton of the body. The skeletons are from the Wangshi Group in Shandong province, China, a reference from the Upper Cretaceous, in addition to other hadrosaur fossils Tanius ( Tsintaosaurus, Shantungosaurus ), the Tyrannosauride Chingkankousaurus and belonging to the Pachycephalosauria Micropachycephalosaurus were found. Among the Upper Cretaceous sedimentary rocks is another fossiliferous layer with finds from the Lower Cretaceous of Psittacosaurus.
System
Carl Wiman published in 1929 the first scientific description of the genus Tanius. The genus may belong to the early Hadrosauriern, a more accurate assignment within the group but - as in other species ( Claosaurus, Secernosaurus ) - due to the sparseness of the material is still outstanding.
Within the genus, only the type species Tanius sinensis is considered valid while the species Tsintaosaurus spinorhinus described as T. chinkankouensis Young, 1958 and T. laiyangensis Zhen, 1976, shall be allocated and T. prynadai Riabinin, 1937/Young, 1958 by nomen dubium as a Bactrosaurus is considered prynadai.