Name:
Nanshiungosaurus (Greek for "Nanshiung lizard"); pronounced nan-SHUNG-oh-SORE-us
Habitat:
Woodlands of Asia
Historical Period:
Early Cretaceous (125 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 20 feet long and 500-1,000 pounds
Diet:
Probably omnivorous
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Long claws; narrow snout; bipedal stance
About Nanshiungosaurus:
Because it's represented by limited fossil remains, not much is known about Nanshiungosaurus besides the fact that it was a fairly large therizinosaur--the family of bizarre, bipedal, long-clawed theropods that may have pursued an omnivorous (or even strictly herbivorous) diet. If it winds up meriting its own genus, Nanshiungosaurus will prove to be one of the largest therizinosaurs yet discovered, on a par with the genus, Therizinosaurus, that gave its name to this poorly understood group of dinosaurs in the first place.
