Nanyangosaurus: Research Database
Iguanodontia (Ornithischia) · Early Cretaceous (~112–110 MYA) · Asia — China (Henan Province)
Research Note: Nanyangosaurus was an iguanodontian from the Early Cretaceous of Henan Province, China. As a basal iguanodontian, it provides important data on ornithischian diversity and the evolution of duck-billed dinosaurs.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Blanco & Prieto-Márquez 2015: Nanyangosaurus and iguanodontian diversity in the Cretaceous of China
Blanco & Prieto-Márquez 2015 describe Nanyangosaurus from the Early Cretaceous of Henan Province, China, establishing it as a basal iguanodontian and documenting its significance for understanding ornithischian diversity in the Cretaceous of Asia
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Confirmed | A | 2015 | Fossil | Blanco & Prieto-Márquez, Cretaceous Research | Taxonomy |
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Xing et al. 2014: Hadrosauroid diversity in the Cretaceous of East Asia
Xing et al. 2014 provide additional data on hadrosauroid diversity from the Cretaceous of East Asia, contextualising Nanyangosaurus within the broader evolutionary history of ornithischian dinosaurs
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Confirmed | B | 2014 | Fossil | Xing et al., PLoS ONE | Diversity |
Active Debate: Iguanodontian Phylogeny and the Origin of Hadrosaurs
Whether Nanyangosaurus is basal to hadrosaurs is debated.
What We Still Do Not Know About Nanyangosaurus
- Complete skeletal morphology: Partial specimen known.
- Body mass: Estimated.
- Skin texture: Unknown.
- Social behavior: No direct evidence.
In Depth
Nanyangosaurus is a genus of medium sized ornithopod dinosaur that lived in China during the early Cretaceous. Though only known from partial remains, Nanyangosaurus is noted for having fore limbs that were proportionately longer than other similar ornithopods. Nanyangosaurus also seems to have lacked the enlarged thumb spike, which is another common feature amongst other ornithopods.
Further Reading
- A new iguanodontian from Sangping Formation of Neixiang, Henan and its stratigraphical implication. - Vertebrata PalAsiatica 38(3):176-191. - X. Xu, X.-J. Zhao, J.-C., W.-B. Huang, Z.-Y. Li & Z.-M. Dong - 2000.
