Gigantspinosaurus
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Gigantspinosaurus is a genus of herbivorous dinosaur notable for the large spines on its shoulders, which help to protect it from predators – in fact, its name translates to ‘giant-spined lizard’. It is part of the stegosaur family, weighing around 700kg and growing up to 7.7m in length with a strong jaw that helps it to chew the plants and shrubs it feeds on.
Discovery
The first Gigantspinosaurus discovery took place in Pengtang, China in 1985, when paleontologist Ouyang Hui unearthed a partial skeleton featuring a lower jaw, tail and feet, as well as some skin impressions. The bones were initially thought to be that of a Tuojiangosaurus but following the excavation of a second Gigantspinosaurus specimen from Fuquan the previous year, it was finally classified as a new genus in 2006.
Palaeoecology
Gigantspinosaurus existed during the Late Jurassic period around 160m years ago, with the fossil discovery locations suggesting that it preferred a wet environment with plenty of vegetation. It lived alongside many other dinosaurs, including its relative the stegosaur family, Chungkingosaurus.
Information
- Era
- Late Jurassic
- Family
- Stegosauria
- Genus
- Gigantspinosaurus
- Height
- 3M
- Length
- 7.7M
- Weight
- 700Kg
- Diet
- Ground Paleobotany
- Egg batch size
- 2 - 6
