Damalasaurus
Damalasaurus was a giant, long-necked dinosaur that munched on plants during the Early Jurassic Period, about 200 to 175 million years ago. Its fossils were found in what is now China, and scientists think it was a kind of sauropod, a group known for their huge size and long tails.7
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Fun facts
Damalasaurus was named by Chinese paleontologist Zhao Xijin in 1985.2
Its only known species is Damalasaurus magnus, and it is classified as a sauropod dinosaur.7
Damalasaurus lived during the Early Jurassic Period, between 201 and 175 million years ago.1
Fossils of Damalasaurus have only been found in the Changdu area of Tibet, China.7
Like other sauropods, Damalasaurus was a ground-dwelling herbivore that probably laid eggs.1
Most asked questions about Damalasaurus
?How big was Damalasaurus?
It is estimated to have been about 15 metres long, based on a dorsal rib that is about 1.2 metres long.5
?Is Damalasaurus a real dinosaur?
It is considered a nomen nudum (a naked name) because it was never formally described, so it is not a valid dinosaur genus.6
?What did Damalasaurus eat?
It was a herbivore, eating plants, as shown by its classification as a sauropod.7
?When did Damalasaurus live?
It lived during the Early Jurassic Period, about 200 to 175 million years ago.7
?Where was Damalasaurus found?
Its fossils were found in the Changdu area of Tibet, China.7
?Was Damalasaurus a dinosaur?
Yes, it is classified as a sauropod dinosaur.7
?Why is Damalasaurus called a nomen nudum?
Because the name was published without a proper scientific description, so it is not officially recognized.6
?Could Damalasaurus swim?
There is no information about its swimming ability, but as a ground-dwelling sauropod, it probably lived on land.7
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For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Damalasaurus
- Named by
- Zhao 19857
- Group
- Long-necks
- Family / clade
- Sauropoda7
- Classification
- Sauropodomorpha > Sauropoda7
- Age of the rocks
- 201 to 175 million years (Hettangian / Toarcian)7
- Countries
- China7
- Fossil records
- 1 in the Paleobiology Database7
- Discovery
- Damalasaurus was discovered and named by Chinese scientist Zhao Xijin in 1985, based on fossils found in Tibet, China.2
- Still debated
- Scientists are not sure exactly how big Damalasaurus was, because only a few bones have been found. It might have been anywhere from 10 to over 30 meters long.1
Where the facts come from
- PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
- PBDB Bibliographic Reference (paleobiodb.org)
- Damalasaurus: Overview, Size, Habitat, & Other Facts - Dinosaur Dictionary (dinosaurdictionary.com)
- “Damalasaurus laticostalis” | Dinosaur Database by DinoAnimals.com (dinoanimals.com)
- The Theropod Database Blog: "Damalosaurus" - Zhao's nomina nuda part 6 (theropoddatabase.blogspot.com)
- List of informally named dinosaurs (Wikipedia) (Wikipedia)
- Damalasaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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