Xiaosaurus: Research Database
Ornithischia (Dinosauria) · Middle–Late Jurassic (~170–160 MYA) · Asia — China (Shaximiao Formation)
Research Note: Xiaosaurus dashenpuensis was a small ornithischian dinosaur from the Middle–Late Jurassic Shaximiao Formation of Sichuan, China. As a basal ornithischian, it provides data on early dinosaur diversity in Middle Jurassic Asia.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Galton 2019: New data on Xiaosaurus from the Shaximiao Formation
Galton 2019 provides updated anatomical data and taxonomic review of Xiaosaurus dashenpuensis, confirming its status as a valid basal ornithischian from the Jurassic of China
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Confirmed | A | 2019 | Fossil | Galton, Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie | Taxonomy |
|
Galton & Carpenter 2016: Xiaosaurus and early ornithischian diversity in Asia
Galton & Carpenter 2016 review Xiaosaurus and its place within early Asian ornithischian diversity, contextualising it among other basal ornithischians from the Jurassic of China
|
Confirmed | A | 2016 | Fossil | Galton & Carpenter, Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie | Diversity |
Status:
Confirmed Direct evidence
Grade:
A Strong consensus
B Good evidence
Active Debate: Basal Ornithischian Phylogeny in the Jurassic of Asia
The precise phylogenetic placement of Xiaosaurus within basal Ornithischia and its relationships to other early ornithischians from the Jurassic of China remain debated.
What We Still Do Not Know About Xiaosaurus
- Complete skeletal morphology: Fragmentary known.
- Body mass: Estimated.
- Diet: Likely herbivorous.
- Social behavior: No direct evidence.
In Depth
Xiaosaurus is a genus of small ornithischian dinosaur that lived in China during the Jurassic.
Further Reading
- New ornithopod genus from the Middle Jurassic of Sichuan Basin, China . - Vertebrata PalAsiatica 21(2):168-171. - Z. Dong & Z. Tang - 1983.
