Chuandongocoelurus
Encyclopedia
Chuandongocoelurus named after the Chuandong in Sichuan Province, China
, was a genus
of tetanuran theropod dinosaur
first described by Chinese paleontologist He in 1984. The formation in which it was discovered was the Lower Shaximiao Formation, part of the Dashanpu Formation, meaning Chuandongocoelurus dates to the Bathonian
or Callovian
stage of the Middle Jurassic
.
It was initially described as a coelurid (at the time a wastebasket taxon including almost all small theropods). Norman (1990) considered it to be an indeterminate theropod. More recently, Benson (2008, 2010) and Benson et al. (2010) found it to be the sister taxon of Monolophosaurus
, together forming a clade
belonging either to Megalosauroidea
or outside of Megalosauroidea in Tetanurae
.
Chuandongocoelurus is known from a single partial skeleton, mostly from the torso and pelvic regions. The specimen has unfused neurocentral sutures in its vertebrae, meaning that the animal was immature at the time of death.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, was a genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of tetanuran theropod dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
first described by Chinese paleontologist He in 1984. The formation in which it was discovered was the Lower Shaximiao Formation, part of the Dashanpu Formation, meaning Chuandongocoelurus dates to the Bathonian
Bathonian
In the geologic timescale the Bathonian is an age or stage of the Middle Jurassic. It lasted from approximately 167.7 Ma to around 164.7 Ma...
or Callovian
Callovian
In the geologic timescale, the Callovian is an age or stage in the Middle Jurassic, lasting between 164.7 ± 4.0 Ma and 161.2 ± 4.0 Ma. It is the last stage of the Middle Jurassic, following the Bathonian and preceding the Oxfordian....
stage of the Middle Jurassic
Middle Jurassic
The Middle Jurassic is the second epoch of the Jurassic Period. It lasted from 176-161 million years ago. In European lithostratigraphy, rocks of this Middle Jurassic age are called the Dogger....
.
It was initially described as a coelurid (at the time a wastebasket taxon including almost all small theropods). Norman (1990) considered it to be an indeterminate theropod. More recently, Benson (2008, 2010) and Benson et al. (2010) found it to be the sister taxon of Monolophosaurus
Monolophosaurus
Monolophosaurus was a genus of theropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic of the Shishugou Formation in what is now Xinjiang, China. It was named for the single crest on top of its skull. The type and only known individual is estimated at...
, together forming a clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
belonging either to Megalosauroidea
Megalosauroidea
Megalosauroidea is a group of tetanuran theropod dinosaurs that lived from the Middle Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous period.-Classification:...
or outside of Megalosauroidea in Tetanurae
Tetanurae
Tetanurae, or "stiff tails", is a clade that includes most theropod dinosaurs, as well as birds. Tetanurans first appear during the early or middle Jurassic Period.-Definition:...
.
Chuandongocoelurus is known from a single partial skeleton, mostly from the torso and pelvic regions. The specimen has unfused neurocentral sutures in its vertebrae, meaning that the animal was immature at the time of death.