Szechuanosaurus
Name Origin
Lizard of Sichuan (a region in China)
Classification
Diapsida, Saurischia, Theropoda
Habitat (Discovery Location)
China
Period
Late Jurassic
Length
Approximately 6 meters
Diet
Carnivore (Meat-eater)
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Description
Sichuan Province in China is known as the home of extremely spicy cuisine.
It is believed that a medium-sized carnivorous dinosaur related to Allosaurus inhabited this land during the Late Jurassic.
However, this dinosaur currently presents a “serious problem” that plagues paleontologists.
From its naming in 1942 to the present day, the only clues found to prove its existence are “four teeth.”
Bearing the Name of Sichuan… But a “Harsh” Fossil Reality
The scientific name of this dinosaur is derived from “Sichuan Province,” where the fossils were discovered.
While Sichuan is famous for spicy dishes like Mapo Tofu, the situation surrounding this dinosaur is quite “harsh” (tough) for researchers.
Clues Are Only 4 Teeth
More than 80 years have passed since it was formally named in 1942, but the only definitive fossils discovered so far are, surprisingly, just four teeth.
Since not even a jawbone has been found, let alone a full skeleton, it is extremely difficult to accurately reconstruct what they specifically looked like.
Relative of Allosaurus? Or a Dinosaur That “Doesn’t Exist”?
Based on the characteristics of the few teeth, Szechuanosaurus is thought to be a medium-sized carnivorous dinosaur that lived in Late Jurassic China and a species close to the North American Allosaurus.
Whispers of “Nomen Dubium”
However, there is a severe lack of information to identify the species.
Therefore, there is a suspicion in the academic world that “it may not actually exist as an independent species.”
Scientific names with such doubtful validity in classification are called “nomen dubium” (doubtful name).
The teeth named Szechuanosaurus might possibly belong to a completely different dinosaur.
Its true identity remains shrouded in mystery, much like the deep mist of Sichuan.