Open Paleo

Zizhongosaurus

Dong et al., 1983 DZUH-JUNG-o-SAWR-us

Named after Zizhong County in Sichuan Province, China where it was found, combined with Greek sauros meaning 'lizard'; translates as 'Zizhong lizard'

184.2–168.2 million years ago Toarcian–Bajocian, Early Jurassic–Middle Jurassic
Early Jurassic and Middle Jurassic stages

Zizhongosaurus is a genus of basal herbivorous sauropod dinosaur which lived in the Early Jurassic (Toarcian) Period of China. It was a large-bodied herbivore characterized by a long neck.

Diagnosis

  1. Small primitive sauropod with relatively long anterior limbs
  2. Humerus with straight and rounded shaft
  3. Dorsal vertebrae with high neural spine with apex as expanded plate descending slightly anteriorly and concave posteriorly
  4. Lateral spine surface ornamented with dorsally radiating vertical striations
  5. Well-developed diapophyses forming right angle with neural spine at neural arch
  6. Hyposphene present

Species

Zizhongosaurus chuanchengensis Dong et al., 1983

Type species

Named for the town of Chuancheng in Sichuan Province, China.

Syntypes
IVPP V9067.1, IVPP V9067.2, IVPP V9067.3 , Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology
Material
Three syntypes: partial dorsal vertebra, humerus, and pubis
Horizon
Xintiangou Formation, Toarcian–Bajocian, Early Jurassic–Middle Jurassic , 184.2–168.2 million years ago
Locality
Luochuanjing, Sichuan, China Dong (1983) places the holotype in purple-red mudstone 15 to 20 m above the Daanzhai Limestone Member, querying the unit as the Xintiangou Formation, which would put it above the Ziliujing rather than within it. McPhee and colleagues (2016) instead give the Daanzhai Member of the Ziliujing Formation.

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

    Source of the body length estimate.

    jones2026b
  3. McPhee, B. W.; Upchurch, P.; Mannion, P. D.; Sullivan, C.; Butler, R. J.; Barrett, P. M. (2016). A revision of Sanpasaurus yaoi Young, 1944 from the Early Jurassic of China, and its relevance to the early evolution of Sauropoda (Dinosauria). PeerJ 4: e2578. PeerJ. doi:10.7717/peerj.2578 mcphee2016a