Guanlong
Guanlong was an early cousin of T. rex that lived in China during the Late Jurassic. It had a fancy, air-filled crest on its head that might have been used to show off to other dinosaurs.12
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Fun facts
Its head crest was large, fragile, and filled with air pockets, making it one of the most elaborate crests of any non-avian dinosaur.2
Guanlong lived about 159 to 154 million years ago, during the Late Jurassic.1
It was a small theropod, only about 3 metres (10 feet) long.1
The first fossil of Guanlong was found in the Shishugou Formation of China.5
Most asked questions about Guanlong
?How big was Guanlong?
About 3 to 3.5 metres (10 to 11.5 feet) long and weighed around 125 kilograms (276 pounds). That's about as long as a small car.31
?Did Guanlong have feathers?
Yes, it almost certainly had a coat of primitive feathers, like its close relative Dilong. The feathers were probably simple and hair-like.43
?What did Guanlong eat?
It was a carnivore that hunted smaller dinosaurs, mammals and other animals. It may have also been hunted by larger predators like Yangchuanosaurus.4
?Why did Guanlong have a crest?
The large, fragile crest on its head was probably used for display, like to attract mates or show off to other Guanlong. It was too thin and delicate to be a weapon.43
?Is Guanlong a dinosaur?
Yes, it is a dinosaur. It belongs to the group Theropoda and is a type of tyrannosauroid, the same group that includes T. rex.13
?When did Guanlong live?
It lived during the Late Jurassic Period, about 160 to 154 million years ago. That's about 95 million years before T. rex appeared.13
?How fast could Guanlong run?
Scientists don't know its exact speed, but as a small, lightweight theropod with long legs, it was probably a fast runner. No source gives a specific number.3
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For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Guanlong
- Named by
- Xu et al. 20065
- Group
- Tyrannosaurs
- Family / clade
- Proceratosauridae5
- Classification
- Theropoda > Tyrannosauroidea5
- Age of the rocks
- 162 to 155 million years (Oxfordian)5
- Rock formations
- Shishugou5
- Countries
- China5
- Fossil records
- 1 in the Paleobiology Database5
- Discovery
- Guanlong was named in 2006 by a team of scientists including Xing Xu and James Clark. The fossils were found at Wucaiwan in the Junggar Basin of northwestern China.21
- Still debated
- Scientists are not sure exactly what the large head crest was used for, but it may have been for attracting mates or showing off.2
Where the facts come from
- Guanlong | Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk)
- A basal tyrannosauroid dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of China (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Guanlong (en.wikipedia.org)
- Dinosaur - Guanlong wucaii - The Australian Museum (australian.museum)
- Guanlong in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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