A well-preserved skull of a previously unknown species of giant dinosaur was discovered in southern China’s Lufeng Dinosaur National Geopark. The enormous skull, estimated to be up to 33 feet long, belongs to the sauropodomorph group and is likely to be the largest non-sauropod sauropodomorph found in the region.
The discovery dates back to the Early Jurassic period, around 201.3 million years ago. The sediments that preserved the remains were finely grained clays, sand, and silt deposited by lakes and rivers, which helped protect the dinosaur’s bones from erosion.
The skull is rare in sauropodomorphs due to its exceptional preservation. Only a handful of cranial bones were lost, while the rest of the skeleton was buried under sediment. The discovery comprises a skull and nine neck vertebrae, but it lacks other essential bones, making it difficult to determine whether the dinosaur was bipedal or quadrupedal.
However, researchers believe that its nearest relative, Yunnanosaurus, was partially quadrupedal, suggesting that Lishulong wangi may have followed a similar pattern. The species is thought to have been an herbivore, feeding on gymnosperms and other primitive plant types.
The age of the discovery and its exceptional preservation make it a significant find in paleontology. Further analysis will be needed to determine how the dinosaur met its end and what it can tell us about this previously unknown species.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/animals/dinosaurs/enormous-skull-of-200-million-year-old-giant-dinosaur-discovered-in-china