About Lufengosaurus
| Scientific Name (Genus) | Lufengosaurus |
| Meaning of Name |
Lufeng (a place in China) lizard
Lufeng [Place name] - saurus (lizard) [Greek] |
| Classification |
Saurischia, Basal Sauropodomorpha (Massospondylidae)
*Formerly classified as "Prosauropoda". |
| Total Length | Approx. 6m (individuals reaching up to 9m have also been discovered) |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Period | Early Jurassic (approx. 195 to 190 million years ago) |
| Sub-classification / Species Name | Lufengosaurus huenei |
| Year of Paper Publication | 1941 |
| Genus Name Publication |
A complete osteology of Lufengosaurus huenei Young (gen. et sp. nov.) from Lufeng, Yunnan, China.
Palaeontologia Sinica, New Series C 7. by 杨钟健(CC(Chung Chien) Young). 1941. |
Ancestors or closely related early groups of the giant thunder lizards (sauropods) that appear in later periods. They were once collectively called "Prosauropoda," but their classification has now been revised.
Lufengosaurus: Features and Ecology
Lufengosaurus is a dinosaur whose many fossils have been discovered in the "Lufeng Formation" in Yunnan Province, China.
With a total length of about 6 meters, it had a long neck, a relatively small head, and a barrel-like torso for fermenting plants. It usually moved bipedally, and when eating leaves from tall trees, it is thought to have supported its body while balancing with its hind legs and giant tail. It could also walk on four legs when traveling long distances.
Also, its thumbs on its forelimbs had **large, sharp claws**, which were used for self-defense or pulling branches of tall trees closer.
Studies of its skull strongly suggest that it had well-developed "cheeks" around its mouth. The presence of cheeks prevented plants in its mouth from spilling out, allowing it to eat efficiently. The teeth of Lufengosaurus were flat with serrated edges, closely resembling those of modern herbivorous reptiles like iguanas.
Furthermore, examination of bone cross-sections (bone tissue) revealed that after hatching, they grew rapidly at a speed comparable to modern large birds and mammals.
Digestion Method and the Mystery of Gastroliths
Numerous rounded masses of stones (gastroliths) have been found around the stomach area of Lufengosaurus.
Previously, it was thought that they were used as a "gastric mill" to grind up eaten plants by rubbing the stones together using strong stomach muscles.
However, recent studies have pointed out the possibility that their stomach muscles were not that strong. Currently, the prevailing view is that they relied on the action of bacteria (fermentation) in their huge intestines to digest and absorb plants, rather than physical digestion using gastroliths.
Unhatched Babies and Dinosaur Parenting
The state in which chicks right after hatching cannot survive without parental care (cannot move on their own) is called altricial (e.g., swallows, pigeons), and the state in which they can walk around immediately and eat food on their own is called precocial (e.g., chickens, ducks).
In 2013, a large number of the world's oldest "unhatched babies (embryos)" fossils of Lufengosaurus, dating back about 190 million years, were discovered. Detailed investigations revealed that the length of their femurs (thigh bones) doubled while inside the eggs, and they actively moved their muscles while inside the eggs.
Parenting
Furthermore, the latest biomechanical analysis proved that the bones of hatchlings had low strength and they could not stand up and walk around on their own. This is a characteristic shared with modern "altricial" birds.
From this, it is thought that Lufengosaurus engaged in active parenting, such as parents continuously carrying and feeding food to the helpless babies staying in the nest.
190-Million-Year-Old Proteins
It was generally thought that only hard parts like "bones" remained in fossils, and soft tissues like proteins would decompose over long periods of time.
However, in 2017, 195-million-year-old "collagen (protein)" was discovered in Lufengosaurus fossils, surprising researchers worldwide. Iron contained in the dinosaur's blood changed during the fossilization process and acted as a "sealant" blocking the tiny blood vessel holes in the bones, allowing the proteins from that time to be preserved exactly as they were, like a time capsule.
Discovery, Paper Publication, and Records of Growth
Lufengosaurus was discovered in Yunnan Province, China, in the late 1930s. A detailed paper was published by paleontologist C.C. Young in 1941, and in 1958, it was mounted as the first complete dinosaur skeleton in China. A commemorative stamp depicting this skeleton was also issued that year, which was the first time a dinosaur appeared on a country's official stamp.
Also, a classification mystery that had troubled dinosaur paleontologists for many years was solved recently. It was proven that small fossils previously thought to be a different species (*Gyposaurus sinensis*) were actually "immature juveniles," and fossils considered a giant different species (*Lufengosaurus magnus*) were "old, large individuals." This is gradually clarifying the growth changes of Lufengosaurus throughout its life.
Lufengosaurus Stamp and Fossil Gallery
