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at the hips; largest species up to 4 m
as long as 3 cars parked in a row🍌as long as 72 bananas end to end🏃could run 100 metres in 20 seconds (the fastest human needs 9.6)How big was Yunnanosaurus compared to YOU?
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Fun facts
Yunnanosaurus had more than sixty spoon-shaped teeth that were self-sharpening because they wore against each other as the animal fed.1
Its teeth were advanced for an early sauropodomorph and looked like those of later giant sauropods, but scientists think this similarity evolved separately.1
The largest species, Yunnanosaurus youngi, reached about 13 metres (42 feet) long, as big as a school bus.1
The first fossils were discovered by Chinese paleontologist Yang Zhongjian (also known as C. C. Young) in the early 1940s.1
Yunnanosaurus lived between about 201 and 183 million years ago, during the Early Jurassic Period.12
It could walk on two legs or on all fours, making it a versatile mover through its ancient environment.1
Most asked questions about Yunnanosaurus
?How big was Yunnanosaurus?
The smallest species, Y. huangi, was about 7 metres (23 feet) long, while the largest, Y. youngi, reached about 13 metres (43 feet) long, roughly the size of a school bus.13
?What did Yunnanosaurus eat?
It was a herbivore that ate plants. Its spoon-shaped teeth were self-sharpening, and it fed on softer, less fibrous plants than later giant sauropods.13
?When did Yunnanosaurus live?
Yunnanosaurus lived during the Early Jurassic Period, about 201 to 183 million years ago.13
?Where was Yunnanosaurus found?
Its fossils were found in Yunnan Province, China. The first skeletons were discovered in the Lufeng Formation.1
?Did Yunnanosaurus have feathers?
No known fossils show feathers on Yunnanosaurus. It is not related to feathered dinosaurs like birds.1
?Could Yunnanosaurus walk on two legs?
Yes, it could walk on two legs or on all fours. It was a versatile mover that could switch between bipedal and quadrupedal walking.1
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Myth buster
Myth: Yunnanosaurus is often called a prosauropod, meaning it was a direct ancestor of sauropods.
Truth: Scientists now place Yunnanosaurus in a group called Sauropodiformes, which is closer to true sauropods but not a direct ancestor.1
For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Yunnanosaurus
- Named by
- Young 19404
- Group
- Long-necks
- Family / clade
- Sauropodiformes4
- Classification
- Sauropodomorpha4
- Age of the rocks
- 201 to 184 million years (Hettangian / Pliensbachian)4
- Rock formations
- Lufeng, Fengjiahe4
- Countries
- China4
- Fossil records
- 17 in the Paleobiology Database4
- Discovery
- Chinese paleontologist C. C. Young (Yang Zhongjian) named Yunnanosaurus in 1942 after finding many skeletons in Yunnan, China. The type species is Yunnanosaurus huangi.1
- Still debated
- Scientists are not sure whether Yunnanosaurus robustus is a separate species or just a larger individual of Yunnanosaurus huangi.1
Where the facts come from
- Yunnanosaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
- PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
- Yunnanosaurus | Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk)
- Yunnanosaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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