Borealosaurus
Encyclopedia
Borealosaurus was a dinosaur
genus
from northern China
. It was a herbivorous
quadruped
al sauropod from the Early Cretaceous
Period. The type species
was Borealosaurus wimani. It was named from Greek
Βορεąς (the North wind) and σαυρος (lizard), with its specific name being given in honor of Swedish paleontologist Carl Wiman
, who named the first Chinese dinosaur.
It has been estimated that this creature measured 12 metres in length, with a weight of 10 tonnes.
It was discovered by Hailu, Qiang, Lamanna, Jinglu and Yinxiang, in 2004, in the Sunjiawan Formation
of Liaoning Province.
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...
genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
from northern 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...
. It was a herbivorous
Herbivore
Herbivores are organisms that are anatomically and physiologically adapted to eat plant-based foods. Herbivory is a form of consumption in which an organism principally eats autotrophs such as plants, algae and photosynthesizing bacteria. More generally, organisms that feed on autotrophs in...
quadruped
Quadruped
Quadrupedalism is a form of land animal locomotion using four limbs or legs. An animal or machine that usually moves in a quadrupedal manner is known as a quadruped, meaning "four feet"...
al sauropod from the Early Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
Period. The type 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...
was Borealosaurus wimani. It was named from Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
Βορεąς (the North wind) and σαυρος (lizard), with its specific name being given in honor of Swedish paleontologist Carl Wiman
Carl Wiman
Carl Wiman was a Swedish paleontologist and the first professor of paleontology at Uppsala University. He published on a variety of topics, including extinct penguins, and dinosaur fossils sent to Sweden from China and the San Juan Basin of New Mexico...
, who named the first Chinese dinosaur.
It has been estimated that this creature measured 12 metres in length, with a weight of 10 tonnes.
It was discovered by Hailu, Qiang, Lamanna, Jinglu and Yinxiang, in 2004, in the Sunjiawan Formation
Sunjiawan Formation
The Sunjiawan Formation is a geological formation in Liaoning, China whose strata date back to the Early Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.-Vertebrate paleofauna:...
of Liaoning Province.