Jingshanosaurus

Name Origin

Lizard of Jingshan

Family

Massospondylidae

Classification

Diapsida, Saurischia, Sauropodomorpha, Prosauropoda

Habitat (Discovery Location)

China

Period

Early Jurassic

Length

Approximately 7.5 meters

Weight

Approximately 2 tons

Diet

Herbivore

Description

In the early dinosaur era, a group that was ancestral to the giant “sauropods” that would appear later, such as Brachiosaurus, flourished.
They are called “prosauropods.”

While many of them were eventually replaced by their gigantic descendants, there is one dinosaur considered to be one of the “last survivors” that lived until the very end of this group’s time.
That is “Jingshanosaurus,” discovered in China.

“Lizard of Jingshan”: Discovery of a Nearly Complete Skeleton

Origin of the Name

Fossils of Jingshanosaurus were discovered in a place called “Jingshan” (Golden Gate) in Yunnan Province, China.
Named after this location, it was given the name Jingshanosaurus, meaning “Lizard of Jingshan,” in 1995.

A Complete Fossil That Tells of Evolution

What is notable is that a nearly complete full skeleton, including the head, has been discovered.
While dinosaur fossils are often found in fragments, thanks to this well-preserved specimen, much valuable information regarding their appearance and evolutionary process has been obtained.

From Prosauropods to Sauropods: Physical Characteristics Indicating Evolution

The body of Jingshanosaurus contains a mix of “old characteristics (prosauropod)” and “new characteristics (sauropod).”

Body Shape

The neck was long, and the hind limbs supporting the body were thick, heavy, and sturdily built.

Claws

The thumb of the forelimb was equipped with a characteristic “large claw” seen in later sauropods.

In terms of classification, it is closest to Yunnanosaurus, also from China, and was once even included in the same group.
They are dinosaurs that lived during the transitional period of evolution (missing link), shifting from prosauropods to giant sauropods.

“Chisel-like Teeth” and the Gourmet Theory of Eating Mollusks

Teeth Resembling Brachiosaurus

One of the most interesting features is the “teeth.”
The teeth of typical prosauropods are characteristically “leaf-shaped” with coarse serrations.
However, the teeth of Jingshanosaurus are different, shaped like “chisels,” and grew densely in the jaw.
These “chisel-like teeth” are a feature seen in some later sauropods like Brachiosaurus, supporting the idea that they were at an evolutionary stage close to sauropods.

The Possibility of a Surprising Diet

Basically, like other related species, they are thought to have been herbivorous dinosaurs that ate tree leaves and branches.
However, the scholar who researched and described this dinosaur pointed out a very unique possibility.
That is the theory that they may have eaten “mollusks” (such as shellfish and snails) in addition to plants.

If this is true, they may have been unexpected gourmets (with omnivorous tendencies) beyond the realm of simple herbivorous dinosaurs.
Living in the twilight of the prosauropods, the fossils of Jingshanosaurus continue to tell the story of a bridge to the giants of the next generation.