Open Paleo

Changchunsaurus

Zan et al., 2005 CHAHNG-choon-SOR-us

Named after Changchun, the city near where it was discovered in Jilin Province, China, + Greek sauros ('lizard'), meaning 'Changchun lizard'.

121.4–100.5 million years ago Aptian–Albian, Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous stages

Changchunsaurus is an extinct genus of small herbivorous neornithischian dinosaur from Early or Late Cretaceous deposits of Gongzhuling, Jilin, China. It is the first named dinosaur genus from that region.

Diagnosis

  1. Jugal boss projects laterally near ventral margin of orbit with nubble (scaly) surface texture, not seen in any other known ornithopod
  2. Predentary ventral process distinctly longer than lateral process, with bilobate end of ventral process
  3. Longitudinal concave (median groove) present along midline suture of nasal
  4. Quadratojugal triangular (equilateral) with no quadrate foramen
  5. Five premaxillary teeth with only a very short edentulous anterior portion of premaxilla
  6. Enamel on cheek tooth crowns distributed symmetrically on both buccal and lingual faces

Species

Changchunsaurus parvus Zan et al., 2005

Type species

From Latin 'parvus' meaning 'petite' or 'small', named for the small size of the animal.

Holotype
JLUM L0403-j-Zn2 , Jilin University Museum
Material
Nearly complete skeleton with complete skull
Horizon
upper Quantou Formation, Aptian–Albian, Early Cretaceous , 121.4–100.5 million years ago
Locality
Shanqian, Jilin, China

References

  1. Zan, S. Q.; Chen, J.; Jin, L. Y.; Li, T. (2005). A primitive ornithopod from the Early Cretaceous Quantou Formation of central Jilin, China. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 43(3): 182-193. zan2005a
  2. Paul, G. S. (2024). The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs (3rd ed.). Princeton University Press.

    Source of the mass estimate.

    paul2024a
  3. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Ornithischians. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the hip height estimate, and the appearance features.

    jones2026a