Name:
Xuanhanosaurus (Greek for "Xuanhan lizard"); pronounced zwhan-han-oh-SORE-us
Habitat:
Forests of Asia
Historical Period:
Late Jurassic (155 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 20 feet long and 500 pounds
Diet:
Meat
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Powerful arms and legs; large, fish-shaped head
About Xuanhanosaurus:
Like many dinosaurs, Xuanhanosaurus is known only from scattered bones, mostly from its back, shoulders and arms. Still, enough is known about similar dinosaurs of the Jurassic period to reconstruct a convincing picture: Xuanhanosaurus had unusually long, powerful arms and legs, and its distinctive, roundish head looked almost comical (although the small, quivering dinosaurs it hunted were probably not amused).
The discoverer of Xuanhanosaurus, the Chinese paleontologist Dong Zhiming, has caused a stir by suggesting that it walked (at least occasionally) on all fours--which would make it the only carnivorous dinosaur ever to have done so. However, most other paleontologists believe it had the bipedal gait typical of other theropods.
