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lufengosaurus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Sauropsida
Superorder: Dinosauria
Order: Saurischia
Suborder: Sauropodomorpha
Infraorder: Prosauropoda
Family: Plateosauridae
Genus: Lufengosaurus
Young, 1941
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Lufengosaurus, (Chinese: 祿豐龍 or 禄丰龙, meaning "Lufeng Lizard"), was a prosauropod dinosaur which lived from the Late Triassic to the Middle Jurassic period in what is now southwestern China. At about 6 metres long, it was the first complete dinosaur skeleton mounted in China and a commemorative postage stamp was issued in 1958.
Discovery and species
Named by C.C. Young in 1941, remains of the type species, L. huenei, were found in the Lower Lufeng Formation (Lower Jurassic) of Yunnan Province in China. A second species was named by Young a year later. L. magnus was, as its name suggests, a significantly (up to 1/3rd) larger creature than L. huenei.
Lufengosaurus species
Classification
In 1981, Cooper[1] suggested Lufengosaurus and Yunnanosaurus were species of the South African genus Massospondylus. However, a recent reanalysis[2] of the skull of Lufengosaurus huenei establishes it as a distinct genus separate from either Massospondylus or Yunnanosaurus.
Paleobiology
Like all prosauropods, Lufengosaurus had much longer hindlimbs than forelimbs and was probably bipedal some of the time, especially when browsing for food. It is generally thought to be herbivorous, though it had sharp claws (with an especially large thumb claw) and teeth. These features have been used to support claims that Lufengosaurus may have been at least partially omnivorous. Alternatively, the claws may have been used for defense or raking foliage from trees.
Popular Culture
Lufengosaurus was the first dinosaur skeleton mounted in China. When the exhibit finally opened a stamp was issued with an image of Lufengosaurus on it.
Referances
[1]. ^ Cooper M.The prosauropod dinosaur Massospondylus carinatus Owen from Zimbabwe: its biology, mode of life and phylogenetic significance. Occasional Papers Of The National Museums and Monuments of Rhodesia Series B Natural Sciences 6(10); 689-840 (1981)
[2]. ^ Barrett PM, Upchurch P, Xiao-lin W. Cranial osteology of Lufengosaurus huenei Young (Dinosauria: Prosauropoda) from the Lower Jurassic of Yunnan, People’s Republic of China. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 2005, 25(4):806-822
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