Dino card No. 1308 of 2,027

Omeisaurus

Say it: oh-MEE-sore-us

Name means: “Omei lizard”1

Ate: PlantsLong-necksMiddle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous

Omeisaurus was a giant, long-necked plant-eater that lived in what is now China. It could grow as long as a school bus and used its long neck to reach leaves high in the trees.2

Lived

175 to 143 million years ago5

Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Sichuan Province, China2

Food

Plants5 2

Length

14 to 20.2 m2

largest species O. tianfuensis measured 18 to 20.2 m; smaller species like O. junghsiensis reached 14 m

Weight

4 tonnes to 9.8 tonnes2

Height

9.1 m3

head height

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

How tall was it?

head height

How heavy was it?

as heavy as 7 cars

as long as 4 cars parked in a rowas long as 110 bananas end to endas heavy as 1.5 elephantsas heavy as 2000 watermelonstaller than a giraffe

How big was Omeisaurus compared to YOU?

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cool stuff

Fun facts

Omeisaurus had a tail club made of fused bones at the end of its tail, which it may have used for defense.2

The largest species, Omeisaurus tianfuensis, weighed as much as two adult elephants.2

Omeisaurus lived in dense forests and sometimes shared its home with other sauropods like Shunosaurus and Datousaurus.2

The first Omeisaurus fossils were found in 1936 by Charles Lewis Camp and Yang Zhongjian near Mount Emei.2

Omeisaurus belongs to the family Mamenchisauridae, a group of long-necked sauropods from Asia.5 2

Many Omeisaurus skeletons were found during the construction of the Wujiaba Dam in the 1970s, including partial skulls and skeletons.2

AI-made picture of Omeisaurus — An AI-made picture of how Omeisaurus 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 Omeisaurus

?How big was Omeisaurus?

The largest species, O. tianfuensis, measured 18 to 20.2 metres (59 to 66 ft) long and weighed 8.5 to 9.8 metric tons (9.4 to 10.8 short tons). Other species were smaller, like O. junghsiensis at 14 metres (46 ft) and 4 metric tons (4.4 short tons).2 1

?What did Omeisaurus eat?

Omeisaurus was herbivorous, meaning it ate plants. It used its long neck to reach leaves high in the trees.2 1

?When did Omeisaurus live?

Omeisaurus lived during the Middle to Late Jurassic Period, about 169 to 159 million years ago. The Natural History Museum says Mid Jurassic, 169 to 159 million years ago.1 2

?Where was Omeisaurus found?

Omeisaurus fossils were found in China, mainly in Sichuan Province. The first discovery was near Mount Emei in 1936.2 4

?Was Omeisaurus a dinosaur?

Yes, Omeisaurus was a sauropod dinosaur. Sauropods are a group of long-necked, four-legged plant-eating dinosaurs.2 1

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For dino experts

Scientific name: Omeisaurus
Named by: Young 19395
Group: Long-necks
Family / clade: Mamenchisauridae5
Classification: Sauropodomorpha > Sauropoda5
Age of the rocks: 175 to 143 million years (Aalenian / Tithonian)5
Rock formations: Shaximiao5
Countries: China5
Fossil records: 13 in the Paleobiology Database5
Discovery: Omeisaurus was named in 1939 by Chinese paleontologist Yang Zhongjian (also known as C. C. Young) based on fossils found in Sichuan, China. The first fossils were collected in 1936 by Charles Lewis Camp and Yang Zhongjian.2 5
Still debated: Scientists are not sure whether all Omeisaurus species belong in the same genus. Some studies suggest that Omeisaurus maoianus might be more closely related to Mamenchisaurus.2

Where the facts come from

Omeisaurus (nhm.ac.uk)
Omeisaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
Omeisaurus — Facts, Size, Diet & Pronunciation | Types of Dinosaurs (typesofdinosaurs.com)
Omeisaurus | Mt. Omei Sauropod from China's Middle Jurassic Era (thedinosaurs.org)
Omeisaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

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