Yingshanosaurus
Encyclopedia
"Yingshanosaurus" is the informal name
given to a genus
of quadruped
al dinosaur
from the Late Jurassic
, around 150 million years ago. It was a stegosaurian which lived in what is now China
. The suggested "type species
", coined by Zhou in 1984, is "Yingshanosaurus jichuanensis", but this is only an informal designation, as the genus has not yet been fully described. A 2006 paper indicates that the only fossil specimen has been lost.
Like all stegosaurians, "Yingshanosaurus" was an herbivorous
dinosaur. It was similar to another stegosaurian, Tuojiangosaurus
. "Yingshanosaurus" had a pair of wing-like spines on its shoulders, which were flat, like the bony plates on its back.
Nomen nudum
The phrase nomen nudum is a Latin term, meaning "naked name", used in taxonomy...
given to a 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...
of 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 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...
from the Late Jurassic
Late Jurassic
The Late Jurassic is the third epoch of the Jurassic Period, and it spans the geologic time from 161.2 ± 4.0 to 145.5 ± 4.0 million years ago , which is preserved in Upper Jurassic strata. In European lithostratigraphy, the name "Malm" indicates rocks of Late Jurassic age...
, around 150 million years ago. It was a stegosaurian which lived in what is now China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. The suggested "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...
", coined by Zhou in 1984, is "Yingshanosaurus jichuanensis", but this is only an informal designation, as the genus has not yet been fully described. A 2006 paper indicates that the only fossil specimen has been lost.
Like all stegosaurians, "Yingshanosaurus" was an 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...
dinosaur. It was similar to another stegosaurian, Tuojiangosaurus
Tuojiangosaurus
Tuojiangosaurus is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur from the Late Jurassic Period, recovered from the Upper Shaximiao Formation of what is now Sichuan Province in China. Physically similar to the North American Stegosaurus, Tuojiangosaurus is the best understood of the Chinese stegosaurids...
. "Yingshanosaurus" had a pair of wing-like spines on its shoulders, which were flat, like the bony plates on its back.
External links
- Stegosauria at Thescelosaurus!
- "Yingshanosaurus" at the Natural History Museum