Gasosaurus

Say it: gas-oh-SORE-us

Name means: “gas lizard”1

Ate: MeatOther meat-eatersMiddle Jurassic to Late Jurassic

Gasosaurus was a meat-eating dinosaur that lived in what is now China during the Middle Jurassic period, about 170 to 155 million years ago. It was a small, fast theropod that probably hunted other animals for food.3 1

Lived

171 to 155 million years ago3

Middle Jurassic to Late Jurassic

Fossils found in

China (Sichuan Province)3 1

Food

Meat3 1

Length

4 m1

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

as long as 2 bicycles in a rowas long as 22 bananas end to end

How big was Gasosaurus compared to YOU?

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cool stuff

Fun facts

Gasosaurus was named by Chinese paleontologists Dong and Tang in 1985.3 1

Its name comes from the Gas field in Sichuan, China, where its fossils were found, not from any gas it produced.1

The only known fossil of Gasosaurus is a partial skeleton with teeth, found at the Dashanpu Dinosaur Quarry.3

Gasosaurus lived during the Middle Jurassic, a time when many large dinosaurs were just beginning to evolve.3 1

It was a ground-dwelling dinosaur that moved actively on two legs.3

AI-made picture of Gasosaurus — An AI-made picture of how Gasosaurus might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Gasosaurus

?How big was Gasosaurus?

Gasosaurus measured between 3.5 and 4 metres (11 to 13 feet) in length and weighed around 150 kilograms (330 pounds), though some estimates go up to 400 kilograms (880 pounds).2 1

?What did Gasosaurus eat?

Gasosaurus was a carnivore, meaning it ate meat. It probably hunted other animals for food.2 1

?Why is it called Gasosaurus?

Its name comes from the English word 'gasoline' because its fossils were found during the construction of a gas facility in Sichuan, China. It does not mean it produced gas.2 1

?When did Gasosaurus live?

Gasosaurus lived during the Middle Jurassic Period, about 171.6 to 161.2 million years ago.2 1

?Where was Gasosaurus found?

Its fossils were found at the Dashanpu Dinosaur Quarry in Sichuan Province, China.2 3

?Was Gasosaurus bigger than T. rex?

No, Gasosaurus was much smaller. It was only about 3.5 to 4 metres long, while T. rex was over 12 metres long.2 1

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For dino experts

Scientific name: Gasosaurus
Named by: Dong and Tang 19853
Group: Other meat-eaters
Family / clade: Tetanurae3
Classification: Theropoda3
Age of the rocks: 171 to 155 million years (Bajocian / Oxfordian)3
Rock formations: Shaximiao3
Countries: China3
Fossil records: 1 in the Paleobiology Database3
Discovery: Gasosaurus was named and described by Dong and Tang in 1985 based on a partial skeleton found at the Dashanpu Dinosaur Quarry in Sichuan, China.3 1
Still debated: Scientists are not sure exactly how Gasosaurus is related to other theropod dinosaurs, because its fossils are incomplete.3

Where the facts come from

Gasosaurus (nhm.ac.uk)
Gasosaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
Gasosaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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