Tonganosaurus, new early Chinese sauropod

[bh480@scn.org]

From:
Ben Creisler
bh480@scn.org

In case this new dinosaur has not been mentioned yet:

LI Kui, YANG Chun-Yan, LIU Jian, WANG Zheng-Xin, 2010. A 
NEW SAUROPOD FROM THE LOWER JURASSIC OF 
HUILI,SICHUAN,CHINA. Vertebrata Palasiatica (3)

A new sauropod,Tonganosaurus hei gen. et sp. nov. from 
the Yimen Formation (Lower Jurassic) of southern 
Sichuan,China,is described on the basis of a collection 
of bones. These fossils include about 20 vertebrae,a 
complete right pectoral girdle and right forelimb,the 
distal end of a left scapula,a pair of complete ischia,a 
complete right hindlimb,the proximal and distal ends of a 
left femur,right metatarsals (mt. I,II,III and V),a right 
pedal ungual,and ten neural spine and rib fragments. The 
third cervical and anterior caudals are most similar in 
shape to those of the mamenchisaurid Omeisaurus (from the 
Middle Jurassic,Sichuan Basin),and quite different from 
those of other sauropods. The material was therefore 
assigned to the Family Mamenchisauridae Young & Chao,1972 
and a new genus and species were established. This 
represents the first discovery of a sauropod in the Lower 
Jurassic of China since Gongxianosaurus was found in 
Sichuan Basin. The Tonganosaurus material is of great 
importance for understanding the phylogenetics of the 
early Sauropoda. 


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