New Species of Extremely Gigantic Sauropod Dinosaur Found in China
Paleontologists in China have discovered skeletal remains of a remarkable new kind and high -size mamenchisauride dinosaurs from the late Jurassic era.
Fossil remains of Tongnanlong Zhimingi. Image credit: Wei and al., DOI: 10.1038 / S41598-025-09796-0.
The newly described species lived in what is now southwest of China about 147 million years ago (late period of Jurassic).
Scientifically appointed Tongnanlong ZhimingiThis Sauropod dinosaur was about 23 to 28 m (75.5 to 92 feet) long.
“Sauropods were gigantic quadruped herbivores and the largest terrestrial dinosaurs never existed,” said Dr. Xuefang Wei from the Center de Chengdu in China Geological Survey and colleagues.
“They appeared in the late Triassic, obtained global distribution by the average Jurassic and finally disappeared at the end of the upper Cretaceous.”
“More than 150 genres have been identified, including more than 20 genres from the Jurassic period in China.”
“Southwest China is a key region that gives dinosaurs of average Jurassic Sauropod, in particular the Sichuan basin,” they added.
“The Sauropod fauna of the Middle Jurassic Jurassic Basin was previously considered as an endemic fauna which differs from the contemporary fauna of the land fauna pangeen.”
“This distribution has often been interpreted by the isolation hypothesis of East Asia, which occurred during the Jurassic in early Cretaceous.”
“However, this hypothesis is called into question by more phylogenetic analyzes and studies of neosauropods of China and mamenchisaurid dinosaurs discovered from Africa which support the idea that they were distributed worldwide during the average Jurassic.”
The holotype specimen of Tongnanlong Zhimingi was searched by a construction site for the Tongnan district in the Chongqing region, the Sichuan basin.
It includes three dorsal vertebrae and six vertebrae, scapula, coracoid and certain bones of posterior limbs.
“Our field work shows that the Fossilifer site belongs to the lower part of the Super Jurassic SUINING training, covering by quaternary deposits,” said paleontologists.
“The supernight training consists of purplish red mudstone and sandstone.”
“Abundant invertebrate fossils are known to this formation, in particular ostracodes and scenarios, as well as some freshwater, conchostracans.”
“Some vertebrates are also known to this training, such as fish Ceratodus szechuanensistortoise Plesochelys Tatsuensisand dinosaur Machenchisaurus anyuensis. “”
The team’s anatomical and phylogenetic analyzes have shown that Tongnanlong Zhimingi belonged to a family of Sauropods dinosaurs called mamenchisauridae.
“Mamenchisauridae were distributed worldwide in late Jurassic rather than in an endemic fauna which was previously considered to be limited to East Asia,” concluded the researchers.
“”Tongnanlong Zhimingi Enriches the diversity of Eusauropods and provides new information on understanding the diversity of the Sauropod and the evolutionary trend of the average Jurassic to the late Jurassic when their body has become greater. »»
Their article was published on July 10 in the journal Scientific relationships.
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X. Wei and al. 2025. A new mammenchisaurid of the higher education of the Jurassic of the Sichuan basin in China and its involvement on sauropod gigantism. SCI REP 15, 24808; DOI: 10.1038 / S41598-025-09796-0
