Name:
Lufengosaurus (Greek for "Lufeng lizard"); pronounced loo-FENG-oh-SORE-us
Habitat:
Woodlands of Asia
Historical Period:
Early Jurassic (200-180 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 20 feet long and half a ton
Diet:
Plants
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Long neck and tail; quadrupedal posture
About Lufengosaurus:
An otherwise unremarkable prosauropod (the line of quadrupedal, herbivorous dinosaurs that preceded the giant sauropods), Lufengosaurus had the honor of being the first dinosaur ever mounted and displayed in China, an event that was commemorated in 1958 with an official postage stamp. Like other prosauropods, this dinosaur probably nibbled at the low-lying branches of trees, and may have been capable of (occasionally) rearing up on its hind legs. About 30 more-or-less complete Lufengosaurus skeletons have been assembled, making this herbivore a common exhibit in China's natural history museums.
