Nanshiungosaurus: Research Database
Therizinosauria (Theropoda) · Late Cretaceous (~70 MYA) · Asia — China (Henan Province)
Research Note: Nanshiungosaurus was a therizinosaur theropod from the Late Cretaceous of China — one of the few named therizinosaurs from Asia. As a member of the Therizinosauria, it provides data on therizinosaur diversity and evolution in the latest Cretaceous of Asia.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Fiorillo & Adams 2011: Nanshiungosaurus and a new therizinosaur from the Cretaceous of China
Fiorillo & Adams 2011 provide comprehensive data on Nanshiungosaurus from the Late Cretaceous of China, establishing it as a therizinosaur and documenting therizinosaur diversity in the Cretaceous of Asia
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Confirmed | A | 2011 | Fossil | Fiorillo & Adams, PALAIOS | Taxonomy |
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Kobayashi et al. 2022: Nanshiungosaurus and new data on therizinosaur diversity in the Cretaceous of Asia
Kobayashi et al. 2022 provide additional data on Nanshiungosaurus and therizinosaur diversity in the Cretaceous of Asia, further contextualising its significance within Therizinosauria
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Confirmed | B | 2022 | Fossil | Kobayashi et al., Scientific Reports | Diversity |
Active Debate: Therizinosaur Evolution, Cretaceous Ecosystems
Whether therizinosaurs like Nanshiungosaurus were herbivores or omnivores is debated. Their unusual anatomy — with long necks and large claws — suggests different ecological roles than typical theropods.
The diversity of therizinosaurs in the latest Cretaceous of Asia — and their relationship to other theropods — is still being understood.
What We Still Do Not Know About Nanshiungosaurus
- Complete skeletal morphology: Partial specimens known.
- Diet: Likely herbivorous/omnivorous.
- Social behavior: No direct evidence.
- Claw function: Debated.
In Depth
Nanshiungosaurus was first described from partial remains mostly consisting of vertebrae in 1979. To begin with Nanshiungosaurus was thought to be a titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur, a bit later it was realised to be a therizinosaur. As a therizinosaur, Nanshiungosaurus was a theropod dinosaur that had adapted to a herbivorous diet instead of a carnivorous one.
A second species, N. bohlini was described upon the basis of slightly larger vertebrae in 1997, however some researchers have questioned this move upon the basis that there are no clear similarities between these and fossils of N. brevispinus. Some have even gone so far as to suggest that the fossils of N. bohlini should be described as a distinct genus.
Further Reading
- Cretaceous dinosaurs of Hunan, China. Mesozoic and Cenozoic Red Beds of South China: Selected Papers from the Cretaceous-Tertiary Workshop. - Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology & Nanjing Institute of Paleontology (eds.), Science Press, Nanxiong, China 342-350. - Z. Dong - 1979. - A new segnosaur from Mazongshan area, Gansu Province, China. Sino-Japanese Silk Road Dinosaur Expedition. China Ocean Press, Beijing 90-95. - Z. Dong & H. Yu - 1997. - A taxonomic and phylogenetic re-evaluation of Therizinosauria (Dinosauria: Maniraptora). - Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 8 (4): 503–543. - Lindsay E. Zanno - 2010.
