Scientists have reported the discovery of a giant sauropod dinosaur\nnamed Tongnanlong zhimingi, estimated to have been up to 92 feet or\nabout 28 meters long. The species lived during the Late Jurassic period\nand was found in southwestern China.<\/p>\n
The Tongnanlong fossil was found in the Tongnan District, Chongqing,\nwhich is part of the Sichuan Basin. The rock layer from which the fossil\noriginated is estimated to be about 147 million years old.<\/p>\n
The specimen that forms the basis of the naming (holotype) consists\nof three dorsal vertebrae, six tail vertebrae, a shoulder girdle, and\npart of the hind limb.<\/p>\n
Quoting Earth, the bones were first found at a construction site\nbefore being studied in detail by experts.<\/p>\n
Analysis shows that Tongnanlong belongs to the Mamenchisauridae\nfamily, a group of dinosaurs with very long necks. The structure of its\nbones has internal air cavities that help reduce body weight while\nstrengthening the skeleton.<\/p>\n
The estimated body size was carried out by comparing the bones found,\nespecially the scapula and fibula, with close relatives that have more\ncomplete skeletons. The results show a body length of between 75 and 92\nfeet (28 meters). For comparison, the length of a commuter train\ncarriage in Indonesia is about 20 meters.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis new specimen enriches the diversity of Mamenchisauridae and\nprovides additional information for understanding the evolution and\ndiversity of eusauropod dinosaurs,\u201d wrote Xuefang Wei from the Chengdu\nCenter of China Geological Survey.<\/p>\n
Previously, some scientists argued that East Asia during the Jurassic\nperiod was isolated from other continents. However, the discovery of\nclose relatives of mamenchisaurids in Africa, such as Wamweracaudia\nkeranjei, shows that this group has a global distribution.<\/p>\n
\u201cMamenchisauridae were globally distributed in the Late Jurassic and\nnot an endemic fauna as previously thought to be limited to East Asia,\u201d\nwrote Wei.<\/p>\n
This discovery reinforces the suspicion that giant long-necked\ndinosaurs were more widespread than previously thought.<\/p>\n
The Tongnanlong fossil comes from the Suining Formation, which\nconsists of mudstone and reddish-purple sandstone. The sedimentary\nstructure indicates a lakeside environment with a relatively dry\nclimate.<\/p>\n
This environment likely provided abundant vegetation around water\nsources, while also allowing for rapid burial during floods.<\/p>\n
The findings indicate that very large mamenchisaurids lived alongside\nsmaller long-necked relatives.<\/p>\n
This discovery also supports a broader biogeographic narrative by\naligning East Asian forms with their distant relatives in the west, thus\nweakening the narrative of simple isolation.<\/p>\n
Future research will test whether the size of Tongnanlong reflects\nlocal conditions, broader climate change, or evolutionary trends at the\nlineage level. Additional findings of bones from the skull and neck will\nclarify the picture.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/creature-longer-than-a-commuter-train-emerges-in-chinese-construction-site-1772079370", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }