Dongbeititan
From Chinese 'Dongbei' meaning 'Northeast' (referring to northeastern China, i.e. Manchuria/Liaoning), combined with Greek 'titan' meaning 'giant'.
Dongbeititan is a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Beipiao, Liaoning, China. It is based on holotype DNHM D2867, a partial postcranial skeleton including bones from the limbs, shoulder and pelvic girdles, and vertebrae, which was described in 2007. Its describers suggested it was as a basal titanosauriform, not as derived as Gobititan or Jiutaisaurus, but more derived than Euhelopus, Fusuisaurus, and Huanghetitan. The type species is D. dongi, and it is the first named sauropod from the Yixian Formation, which is part of the well-known Jehol Group. The genus name refers to the region Dongbei and to Greek titan, "giant". The specific name honors the Chinese paleontologist Dong Zhiming. Like other sauropods, Dongbeititan would have been a large quadrupedal herbivore.
Diagnosis
- Craniocaudally elongate coracoid with a squared cranioventral extreme
- Long, smooth, and slightly convex acetabular edge of the pubis
Species
Dongbeititan dongi Wang et al., 2007
Type species
Named for Chinese paleontologist Dong Zhiming, in recognition of contributions to research and education in the field of Chinese dinosaurs.
- Holotype
- DNHM D2867 , Xinghai Paleontological Museum of Dalian
- Material
- Partial associated skeleton: 16 cervical vertebrae, 7 dorsal vertebrae, 3 proximal caudal vertebrae, 1 dorsal rib, 1 chevron, partial fused right scapulocoracoid, right pubis, both ischia, distal right femur, and nearly complete left hind limb including femur, tibia, fibula, astragalus, calcaneum, metatarsus, and pedal unguals I and II.
- Horizon
- Jianshangou Member, Yixian Formation, Barremian, Early Cretaceous , 125.8–121.4 million years ago
- Locality
- unnamed valley between Libalang Valley and Er Valley, Liaoning, China
References
- Wang, X.; You, H.; Meng, Q.; Gao, C.; Cheng, X.; Liu, J. (2007). Dongbeititan dongi, the first sauropod dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Jehol Group of western Liaoning Province, China. Acta Geologica Sinica (English Edition) 81(6): 911-916. doi:10.1111/j.1755-6724.2007.tb01013.x wang2007a
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Wang, Y.; Olsen, P. E.; Sha, J.; Yao, X.; Liao, H.; Pan, Y.; Kinney, S.; Zhang, X.; Rao, X. (2016). Stratigraphy, correlation, depositional environments, and cyclicity of the Early Cretaceous Yixian and ?Jurassic-Cretaceous Tuchengzi formations in the Sihetun area (NE China) based on three continuous cores. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. Elsevier BV.
Raises Jianshangou to member rank within the Yixian Formation, which the describing paper gives as a bed.
wang2016a -
Paul, G. S. (2024). The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs (3rd ed.). Princeton University Press.
Source of the body length and mass estimates.
paul2024a -
Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Sauropods. Princeton University Press.
Source of the hip height estimate.
jones2026b