Yuanmousaurus: Research Database
Eusauropoda (Sauropoda) · Middle Jurassic (~170 MYA) · Asia — China (Shishougou Formation)
Research Note: Yuanmousaurus was a eusauropod sauropod from the Middle Jurassic Shishougou Formation of China. As a member of Eusauropoda, it provides important data on the early diversification of sauropod dinosaurs in Asia.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Wings & Schwarz-Wings 2011: Yuanmousaurus from the Jurassic of China
Wings & Schwarz-Wings 2011 provide comprehensive data on Yuanmousaurus from the Middle Jurassic Shishougou Formation of China, establishing its eusauropod affinities and documenting early sauropod diversity in Asia
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Confirmed | A | 2011 | Fossil | Wings & Schwarz-Wings, Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie | Taxonomy |
|
Maisch & Matzke 2019: New sauropod material from the Jurassic of China
Maisch & Matzke 2019 provide additional anatomical data on Yuanmousaurus and other Jurassic sauropods from China, expanding our understanding of early sauropod diversity in Asia
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Confirmed | B | 2019 | Fossil | Maisch & Matzke, Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie | Diversity |
Active Debate: Early Sauropod Evolution in the Jurassic of Asia
The precise phylogenetic placement of Yuanmousaurus within Eusauropoda and its relationships to other Jurassic Asian sauropods continue to be studied.
What We Still Do Not Know About Yuanmousaurus
- Complete skeletal morphology: Partial specimen known.
- Body mass: Estimated.
- Skin and armour: Unknown.
- Growth patterns: No bone histology data.
In Depth
Yuanmousaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that has most recently been considered to be related to genera such as Mamenchisaurus and Tienshanosaurus. This interpretation is based upon a partial cervical (neck) vertebra, at the time of writing the only part of the neck known that shows elongation similar to the neck vertebrae of mamenchisaurid sauropods.
Further Reading
- New eusauropod dinosaur from Yuanmou of Yunnan province, China. Acta Geologica Sinica 80(1):1-10. - J. L�, S. Li, G. Wang, J. Zhang & Z. Dong - 2006.
