Zizhongosaurus

Zie-zong-o-sore-us.
By Benjamin Gutierrez
Published on

Benjamin Gutierrez

Vertebrate Paleontologist

Benjamin Gutierrez is a leading expert on dinosaurs, particularly the mighty theropods. His fieldwork in South America has uncovered new species and provided insights into dinosaur social structures.

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Gutierrez, B. (2012, April 15). Zizhongosaurus. Prehistoric-wildlife. https://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/zizhongosaurus/

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Name

Zizhongosaurus ‭(‬Zizhong lizard‭)‬.

Phonetic

Zie-zong-o-sore-us.

Named By

Z.‭ ‬Dong,‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Zhou‭ & ‬Y.‭ ‬Zhang‭ ‬-‭ ‬1983.

Classification

Chordta,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Saurischia,‭ ‬Sauropodomorpha,‭ ‬Sauropoda,‭ ‬Vulvanodontidae.

Diet

Herbivore.

Species

Z.‭ ‬chuanchengensis‭

Size

Uncertain due to lack of remains.

Known locations

‭ ‬China,‭ ‬Sichuan Province.‭

Time Period

Early Jurassic.

Fossil representation

Paritial post cranial remains,‭ ‬including a humerus,‭ ‬pubis,‭ ‬and vertebra.

In Depth

       The problem with Zizhongosaurus is that not a lot of fossil material exists for this‭ ‬dinosaur,‭ ‬and what is known is incomplete,‭ ‬all factors which have led to this genus being treated as a nomen dubium by many.‭ ‬In addition a second set of remains used to establish a second species,‭ ‬Z.‭ ‬huangshibanensis,‭ ‬are also considered as a nomen nudum today.‭

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Dinosaurs from the Jurassic of Sichuan,‭ ‬Z.‭ ‬Dong,‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Zhou‭ & ‬Y.‭ ‬Zhang‭ ‬-‭ ‬1983. -‭ ‬The Characteristics of the Composition of the Trace Elements in Jurassic Dinosaur Bones and Red Beds in Sichuan Basin,‭ ‬K.‭ ‬Li,‭ ‬Y.‭ ‬Zhang‭ & ‬K.‭ ‬Cai‭ ‬-‭ ‬1999.

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