Qinlingosaurus (Qinling mountain Lizard)

Basic facts

  • 40 feet (12m) length

  • Late Cretaceous

  • China

  • Herbivore

Qinlingosaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period. As a sauropod, it belonged to the group of long-necked, herbivorous dinosaurs, characterized by their colossal size and distinctive skeletal features. The name "Qinlingosaurus" pays homage to the Qinling Mountains, the region in Shaanxi Province, China, where its fossil remains were first discovered.

The size of Qinlingosaurus remains a subject of ongoing study due to the fragmentary nature of the fossils, but the largest specimen found to this date was measured 12 metres or 40 feet in length.

The fossils that has been unearthed comprises an ilium, ischium, and three vertebrae. The ilium measures seventy-seven centimeters and displays an elongated shape with a convex upper profile. Notably, its anterior process is relatively long, while the pubic process is elongated and the ischial process is short.