Open Paleo

Shunosaurus

Dong et al., 1983 SHOO-no-SAWR-us

From 'Shu', an ancient name for Sichuan Province, China, combined with Greek 'sauros' (lizard), meaning 'lizard from Sichuan'.

170.9–154.8 million years ago Bajocian–Oxfordian, Middle Jurassic–Late Jurassic
Middle Jurassic and Late Jurassic stages

Shunosaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur from Late Jurassic (Oxfordian) beds in Sichuan Province in China, from 161 to 157 Million years ago. The name derives from "Shu", an ancient name for the Sichuan province.

Diagnosis

  1. Skull relatively heavy, with paired nares placed at the front of the face
  2. Teeth spatulate
  3. Presacral vertebrae solidly constructed; cervicals opisthocoelous with short centra, low neural spines, and small pleurocoels on the sides of the centrum
  4. Dorsal vertebrae platycoelous with high neural spines and reduced lamellar structure on the neural arch and spines; cervical centra 1.5 times the length of the dorsal centra
  5. Anterior caudal vertebrae moderately platycoelous, becoming amphicoelous posteriorly, with chevrons forking in the mid-caudal region
  6. 13 cervical, 12 dorsal, and 4 sacral vertebrae; limb bones graviportal and rather flat in cross section

Species

Shunosaurus lii Dong et al., 1983

Type species

Named for Li Bing, the hydrologist who served as governor of Sichuan in the third century BC.

Holotype
IVPP V9065 , Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology
Material
Incomplete skeleton: five cervical vertebrae, 13 articulated dorsal vertebrae, fragmentary sacral centrum, two caudal vertebrae, left radius, ulna, carpal, ilium, ischium, pubis, left femur, tibia, fibula, astragalus, metatarsals
Horizon
lower Shaximiao Formation, Bajocian–Oxfordian, Middle Jurassic–Late Jurassic , 170.9–154.8 million years ago
Locality
Dashanpu, Sichuan, China

References

  1. Dong, Z.; Zhou, S.; Zhang, H. (1983). [Dinosaurs from the Jurassic of Sichuan]. Palaeontologica Sinica, New Series C, Whole Number 162(23): 1-136. dong1983a
  2. Dong, Z.; Tang, Z. (1984). [Note on a new Mid-Jurassic sauropod (Datousaurus bashanensis gen. et sp. nov.) from Sichuan Basin, China]. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 22(1): 69-75.

    Source of the revised diagnosis. Reassigns to Datousaurus a better-preserved pelvic girdle found with the holotype.

    dong1984b
  3. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Sauropods. Princeton University Press.

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

    jones2026b