Shanxia
Encyclopedia
Shanxia is a genus
of ankylosaurid dinosaur
that lived during the upper Cretaceous
Period. Its fossils were recovered and named after the Shanxi
Province of China
, and it is known only from scrappy remains found in river deposits. Based on the relative lengths of the femur
and other leg bones, it probably reached a length of around 3.6 metres (11.8 ft).
The most prominent feature of Shanxia, which differentiates it from other ankylosaurs, were the long and flattened triangle-shaped horns that projected backward from the squamosal
bones on either side of the rear portion of its skull at an angle of 145 degrees. However, the unique shape of these horns may be due to individual variation, and a few scientists (such as Sullivan, 1999) consider Shanxia a nomen dubium
, possibly synonymous with the related ankylosaurid Tianzhenosaurus
.
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...
of ankylosaurid dinosaur
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...
that lived during the upper 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. Its fossils were recovered and named after the Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
Province of 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...
, and it is known only from scrappy remains found in river deposits. Based on the relative lengths of the femur
Femur
The femur , or thigh bone, is the most proximal bone of the leg in tetrapod vertebrates capable of walking or jumping, such as most land mammals, birds, many reptiles such as lizards, and amphibians such as frogs. In vertebrates with four legs such as dogs and horses, the femur is found only in...
and other leg bones, it probably reached a length of around 3.6 metres (11.8 ft).
The most prominent feature of Shanxia, which differentiates it from other ankylosaurs, were the long and flattened triangle-shaped horns that projected backward from the squamosal
Squamosal
The squamosal is a bone of the head of higher vertebrates. It is the principal component of the cheek region in the skull, lying below the temporal series and otic notch and bounded anteriorly by postorbital. Posteriorly, the squamosal articulates with the posterior elements of the palatal complex,...
bones on either side of the rear portion of its skull at an angle of 145 degrees. However, the unique shape of these horns may be due to individual variation, and a few scientists (such as Sullivan, 1999) consider Shanxia a nomen dubium
Nomen dubium
In zoological nomenclature, a nomen dubium is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application...
, possibly synonymous with the related ankylosaurid Tianzhenosaurus
Tianzhenosaurus
Tianzhenosaurus is a genus of ankylosaurid dinosaur discovered in Tianzhen County, at Kangdailiang near Zhaojiagou Village, in Shanxi Province, China, in the Late Cretaceous Huiquanpu Formation. Thus far, a virtually complete skull and postcranial skeleton have been assigned to the genus, which is...
.