Yulong

Yu-long.
Published on

Lilah Turner

Evolutionary Biologist

Lilah Turner investigates how prehistoric animals adapted to changing environments, offering insights into evolution's mechanisms.

Cite Feedback Print

Name

Yulong ‭(‬Yu dragon‭ ‬-Yu is the one character abbreviation for Henan Province‭)‬.

Phonetic

Yu-long.

Named By

Junchang L�,‭ ‬Philip J.‭ ‬Currie,‭ ‬Li Xu,‭ ‬Xingliao Zhang,‭ ‬Hanyong Pu‭ & ‬Songhai Jia‭ ‬-‭ ‬2013.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Saurichia,‭ ‬Theropoda,‭ Oviraptosauria.

Diet

Omnivore‭?

Species

Y.‭ ‬mini‭

Size

Up to‭ ‬50‭ ‬centimetres long.

Known locations

China,‭ ‬Henan Province‭ ‬-‭ ‬Qiupa Formation.

Time Period

Late Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Remains from five individuals together representing the skull and post cranial skeleton.‭ ‬Eggs and at least one embryo are also known.

In Depth

       Yulong was a Late Cretaceous oviraptosaur,‭ ‬and one that was positively tiny,‭ ‬especially when compared to the‭ ‬very large oviraptosaur genera like Gigantoraptor.‭ ‬Unfortunately,‭ ‬the exact age of the Qiupa Formation is currently unknown at the time of writing,‭ ‬but we can say that Yulong probably lived in the same ecosystems as other dinosaurs such as the ornithomimid Qiupalong and the dromaeosaurid Luanchuanraptor.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Chicken-sized oviraptorid dinosaurs from central China and their ontogenetic implications,‭ ‬Junchang L�,‭ ‬Philip J.‭ ‬Currie,‭ ‬Li Xu,‭ ‬Xingliao Zhang,‭ ‬Hanyong Pu‭ & ‬Songhai Jia‭ ‬-‭ ‬2013.

Never Miss a New Species or Fossil Discovery!

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

Giant ape, gigantopithecus