Beibeilong
From Mandarin Chinese beibei (贝贝) meaning 'baby' and long (龙) meaning 'dragon'. Full meaning: 'baby dragon'.
Late Cretaceous stages
Beibeilong is a genus of large caenagnathid dinosaurs that lived in China during the Late Cretaceous epoch, about 96 million to 88 million years ago. The genus contains a single species, Beibeilong sinensis. The species was named and described in 2017 through analysis of an embryonic skeleton (nicknamed Baby Louie) and partial nest with large eggs that were discovered in the Gaogou Formation of China (Henan Province) between 1992 and 1993.
Diagnosis
- Antorbital fossa demarcated by sharply defined alveolar and dorsoposterior trending ridges
- Posterodorsal margin of lacrimal overlapped by frontal
- Subantorbital portion of the maxilla is inset medially
- Pronounced retroarticular process with a distinct concave posterior facet, roughly as tall at the base as it is wide
- Preacetabular process of the ilium longer than postacetabular process; posterior end of the postacetabular process truncated or broadly rounded
- Accessory trochanter of the femur weakly developed
Species
Beibeilong sinensis Pu et al., 2017
Type species
Named for its country of discovery, China, derived from the prefix Sino meaning 'Chinese'.
- Holotype
- HGM 41HIII-1219 , Henan Geological Museum
- Material
- Small, semi-articulated skeleton ('Baby Louie') associated with a partial nest of 6-8 eggs.
- Horizon
- Gaogou Formation, Cenomanian–Turonian, Late Cretaceous , 100.5–89.8 million years ago
- Locality
- Heimaogou, 2 km east of Zhaoying Village, Yangcheng Township, Henan, China
References
- Pu, H.; Zelenitsky, D. K.; Lü, J.; Currie, P. J.; Carpenter, K.; Xu, L.; Koppelhus, E. B.; Jia, S.; Xiao, L.; Chuang, H.; Li, T.; Kundrát, M.; Shen, C. (2017). Perinate and eggs of a giant caenagnathid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of central China. Nature Communications 8(1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi:10.1038/ncomms14952 pu2017a