Tongtianlong
Name:
Tongtianlong
(Tongtianyan dragon).
Phonetic: Tong-te-an-long.
Named By: J. L�, R. Chen, S. L.
Brusatte, Y. Zhu & C. Shen - 2016.
Classification: Chordata, Reptilia, Dinosauria,
Threropoda, Oviraptoridae.
Species: T. limosus (type).
Diet: Uncertain.
Size: Skull roughly about 13 centimetres long.
Known locations: China, Jiangxi Province -
Nanxiong Formation.
Time period: Maastrichtian of the Cretaceous.
Fossil representation: Skull and partial post
cranial skeleton.
Tongtianlong
was discovered when blasting of a mudstone deposit revealed the
skeleton of this dinosaur for the first time since the Cretaceous.
Unfortunately this blasting process destroyed some of the skeleton,
but fortunately when workers at the site realised what was there,
they halted operations long enough to recover the specimen. This
included a skull and a significant portion of the post cranial skeleton.
Tongtianlong
was a smaller oviraptorid
dinosaur, and at the time of its naming,
the sixth distinct genus of oviraptorid dinosaur discovered from the
Nanxiong Formation of China. Tongtianlong
primarily stands apart from
these others by the shape of its skull, with the rear portion behind
and above the eyes rising into a dome-like structure. The number of
distinct oviraptorid dinosaur genera suggests that these dinosaurs
filled different niches in the ecosystems. Aside from Tongtianlong,
other ovipatorid dinosaur genera from this formation include
Ganzhousaurus,
Banji,
Jiangxisaurus,
Huanansaurus
and Nankangia.
The
holotype specimen (remains of first discovered individual) of
Tongtianlong is noted for being discovered with arms
splayed out to the
sides and the head raised up. This pose and the fact the holotype
specimen has discovered in mudstone (sedimentary rock formed by the
long-time compression of mud) suggests that this individual dinosaur
had become trapped in a mud deposit, and died while trying to free
itself.
Further reading
- A Late Cretaceous diversification of Asian oviraptorid dinosaurs:
evidence from a new species preserved in an unusual posture. -
Scientific Reports 6:35780:1-12 - J. L�, R. Chen, S.
L. Brusatte, Y. Zhu & C. Shen - 2016.
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