Bellusaurus
Encyclopedia
Bellusaurus was a small short-necked sauropod dinosaur
from the Middle Jurassic
which measured about 4.8 metres (15.7 ft) long. Its fossils were found in Shishugou Formation
rocks in the northeastern Junggar Basin in China
.
The type
(and only known) species is Bellusaurus sui, formally described by Chao in 1987. Seventeen individuals were found in a single quarry, suggesting that a herd had been killed in a flash flood. Some features suggest they may have all been juveniles.
Bellusaurus species
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
from the Middle Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
which measured about 4.8 metres (15.7 ft) long. Its fossils were found in Shishugou Formation
Shishugou Formation
The Shishugou Formation is a geological formation in Xinjiang, China, whose strata date back to the Late Jurassic period. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation....
rocks in the northeastern Junggar Basin in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Discovery and species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
(and only known) species is Bellusaurus sui, formally described by Chao in 1987. Seventeen individuals were found in a single quarry, suggesting that a herd had been killed in a flash flood. Some features suggest they may have all been juveniles.
Bellusaurus species
- B. sui
External links
- Bellusaurus in the Dinosaur Encyclopedia
- Bellusaurus in the Dino Directory