Kaijiangosaurus

Ky-jee-ang-o-sore-us.
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Maeve Foster

Paleoclimatologist

Maeve Foster explores the Earth's climatic past to understand the forces that shaped life on our planet. Her research into ancient climate events provides valuable context for current environmental challenges.

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Name

Kaijiangosaurus ‭(‬Kaijiang lizard‭)‬.

Phonetic

Ky-jee-ang-o-sore-us.

Named By

He‭ ‬-‭ ‬1984.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Saurischia,‭ ‬Theropoda,‭ ‬Megalosauridae‭?

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

K.‭ ‬lini

Size

Uncertain due to lack of remains.

Known locations

China,‭ ‬Sichuan Province‭ ‬-‭ ‬Lower Shaximiao Formation.

Time Period

Bathonian to Callovian of the Jurassic.

Fossil representation

Fragmentary skull,‭ ‬cervical‭ (‬neck‭) ‬vertebrae,‭ ‬partial pectoral girdle and incomplete limbs.

In Depth

       Kaijiangosaurus is only known from very fragmentary remains,‭ ‬so it is difficult to establish exactly where it belongs in relation with other dinosaurs.‭ ‬Further remains have been attributed to the genus but are currently undescribed,‭ ‬but some palaeontologists have leaned towards a classification within the Megalosauridae‭ (‬the theropod dinosaur group typified by Megalosaurus‭)‬.‭

       Interestingly another theropod dinosaur from the same formation called Gasosaurus has been speculated to be the same as Kaijiangosaurus.‭ ‬If true then Gasosaurus would be reclassified as a synonym to Kaijiangosaurus because it was named a year later and under standard international rules governing the naming of animals,‭ ‬the older name has priority.

Further Reading

– The vertebrate fossils of Sichuan. – Sichuan Scientific and Technological Publishing House, Chengdu. 40: 1-168. – He Xinlu – 1984.

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