Yangchuanosaurus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids YangchuanosaurusTemporal range: Jurassic
175.6–154 mya |
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Y. zigongensis | |
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Yangchuanosaurus
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Yangchuanosaurus was a huge meat-eating dinosaur. It lived in what is now China during the Jurassic period. This dinosaur was a type of theropod, which means "beast foot." It was a powerful hunter with a big head and sharp, jagged teeth. Its arms were short, but not as short as those of Tyrannosaurus. Yangchuanosaurus was probably the top predator in its part of the world. It likely hunted large plant-eating dinosaurs. These included sauropods like Mamenchisaurus and stegosaurs like Tuojiangosaurus.
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Types of Yangchuanosaurus
There are two main types, or species, of Yangchuanosaurus.
- Y. zigongensis lived during the Middle Jurassic period.
- Y. shangyouensis lived later, during the Upper Jurassic period.
Scientists found fossils of these dinosaurs in the Dashanpu Dinosaur Quarry. This quarry is located in Zigong, Sichuan, China.
Discovering the Species
The Y. zigongensis species is known from four incomplete fossil skeletons. These were found from the Middle Jurassic rocks.
For Y. shangyouensis, two main fossil specimens were found. At first, scientists thought they were different species. But after more study, they realized these two specimens were likely the same species. They might have been different ages or just slightly different versions of the same dinosaur.
How Big Was Yangchuanosaurus?
One Yangchuanosaurus skull found was about 82 centimeters (2.7 feet) long. The whole dinosaur was about 8 meters (26 feet) long. That's longer than a school bus!
Another specimen was even bigger. Its skull measured 1.11 meters (3.6 feet) long. This larger dinosaur might have been up to 10.8 meters (35.4 feet) long. It could have weighed as much as 3.4 metric tons (about 7,500 pounds). That's like two cars!
Unique Features
Yangchuanosaurus had some cool features on its head. It had a bony bump on its nose. It also had several small horns and ridges. These features were similar to another dinosaur called Ceratosaurus. Its tail was very strong and thick. It was about half the length of its entire body. This massive tail helped it balance when running or attacking prey.
Images for kids
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Mounted skeletons of Yangchuanosaurus and Tuojiangosaurus, Beijing Museum of Natural History
See also
In Spanish: Yangchuanosaurus para niños