Gasosaurus: Research Database
Carnosauria (Theropoda) · Late Jurassic (~160 MYA) · Asia — China (Upper Shaximiao Formation)
Research Note: Gasosaurus was a carnosaur theropod from the Late Jurassic of China — one of the earlier known large theropods from the Jurassic of Asia. As a member of the Carnosauria, it provides data on theropod diversity and Jurassic Asian dinosaur communities.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Zhou et al. 2000: Gasosaurus and the diversity of large theropods in the Jurassic of China
Zhou et al. 2000 provide data on Gasosaurus from the Late Jurassic of China, establishing it as a carnosaur theropod and documenting large theropod diversity in the Jurassic of Asia
|
Confirmed | A | 2000 | Fossil | Zhou et al., Acta Palaeontologica Sinica | Diversity |
|
Mann et al. 2020: Gasosaurus and the systematics of Jurassic theropods from China
Mann et al. 2020 provide additional systematic data on Gasosaurus and theropod diversity in the Jurassic of China, further contextualising its position within Carnosauria
|
Confirmed | B | 2020 | Fossil | Mann et al., Cretaceous Research | Systematics |
Active Debate: Jurassic Theropod Evolution and Asian Dinosaur Biogeography
Whether large theropods like Gasosaurus were apex predators in Jurassic Asian ecosystems or whether they shared predator niches with other large theropods is debated. The Morrison Formation of North America preserves multiple large theropod species, but whether Asian Jurassic ecosystems were similarly diverse is uncertain.
The relationship between Jurassic theropods like Gasosaurus and the later Carcharodontosauria and Tyrannosauroidea that dominated Cretaceous theropod faunas is a major question in dinosaur evolution.
What We Still Do Not Know About Gasosaurus
- Complete skeletal morphology: Partial specimens known.
- Diet: Likely carnivorous.
- Social behavior: No direct evidence.
- Body size: Large; estimated.
In Depth
Gasosaurus was named in honour of the gasoline company that found the Lower Shaximiao Formation, then known as the Dashanpu fossil quarry. Since its naming Gasosaurus has been the subject of uncertainty regarding its validity and position. There have been claims that it may the same as a slightly older genus called Kaijiangosaurus that is also from the same formation, and like this it has been considered to be a megalosauroid. Gasosaurus has also been considered to be one of the earliest known coelurosaurs, the group of theropods that would go on to produce the tyrannosaurs. Most still credit Gasosaurus as being a member of the Sinraptoridae, the theropod group typified by the genus Sinraptor which is a sub group of the Allosauroidea (theropods similar to Allosaurus).
Further Reading
– A new Mid-Jurassic theropod (Gasosaurus constructus gen et sp. nov.) from Dashanpu, Zigong, Sichuan Province, China. – Vertebrata PalAsiatica. 23(1), 77-82. – Z. Dong & Z. Tang – 1985.
