Himalayasaurus
Himalayasaurus was a giant marine reptile that swam in the warm seas of the Late Triassic, about 215 million years ago. It was not a dinosaur, but a type of ichthyosaur, with a long body, flippers, and a fish-like tail. It was a fierce predator that hunted other sea creatures.1
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Fun facts
Himalayasaurus could grow over 15 metres (49 feet) long, which is longer than a school bus.1
Its teeth had special cutting edges, a feature not seen in most other ichthyosaurs, which helped it slice through prey.1
It lived in the ocean, not on land, and likely swam using its powerful flippers and tail.1
Himalayasaurus is known from only a few bones, including teeth, limb bones, and vertebrae, found in Tibet.1
It belonged to a group called Shastasauridae, which included other giant ichthyosaurs like Shonisaurus.1
Most asked questions about Himalayasaurus
?Was Himalayasaurus a dinosaur?
No, it was not a dinosaur. It was a type of ichthyosaur, which is an extinct marine reptile that lived in the ocean.12
?How big was Himalayasaurus?
It was over 15 metres (49 feet) long, which is longer than a school bus.1
?What did Himalayasaurus eat?
It was a fierce predator that hunted other sea creatures. Its teeth had special cutting edges to help slice through prey.1
?When did Himalayasaurus live?
It lived during the Late Triassic, about 215 million years ago.1
?Where was Himalayasaurus found?
Its fossils were found in the Qulonggongba Formation of Tibet, on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.12
?Why is Himalayasaurus called a dubious name?
Some scientists consider it a dubious name because the fossils lack features that clearly set it apart from other ichthyosaurs.1
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Myth buster
Myth: Some people think Himalayasaurus was a dinosaur because it lived long ago and was big.
Truth: Himalayasaurus was not a dinosaur. It was a marine reptile called an ichthyosaur, which lived in the sea, while dinosaurs lived on land.1
For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Himalayasaurus
- Named by
- Dong 19723
- Group
- Ichthyosaurs
- Family / clade
- Shonisauridae3
- Classification
- Ichthyosauria > Ichthyosauromorpha3
- Age of the rocks
- 215 to 211 million years (Norian)3
- Rock formations
- Qulonggongba3
- Countries
- China3
- Fossil records
- 1 in the Paleobiology Database3
- Discovery
- Himalayasaurus was first described by Chinese paleontologist Dong Zhiming in 1972, based on fossils found in the Qulonggongba Formation in Tibet.13
- Still debated
- Scientists debate whether Himalayasaurus is a valid genus or a nomen dubium (dubious name), because the fossils are fragmentary and lack unique features, except for the cutting edges on its teeth.1
Where the facts come from
- Himalayasaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
- Rediscover the Himalayasaurus on Qinghai-Xizang Plateau----Chinese Academy of Sciences (english.cas.ac.cn)
- Himalayasaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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