#xingxiulong

[misterrogers22]

The latest episode of Dinosaurs Lately is out for Christmas ! Episode 7 - Sauropodomorphs (Winter 2025) is available for download or streaming at Podbean: https://jurassickparkcast.podbean.com/e/dinosaurs-lately-sauropodomorphs-winter-2025/ and Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6pZZc9OT0s

Lísie V S Damke et al. (2024). “New specimens of Saturnalia tupiniquim (Dinosauria: Sauropodomorpha): insights into intraspecific variation, rostral anatomy, and skull size.” Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae156

#Saturnalia

David M Lovelace et al. (2025). "Rethinking dinosaur origins: oldest known equatorial dinosaur-bearing assemblage (mid-late Carnian Popo Agie FM, Wyoming, USA)," Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae153

#Ahvaytum #bahndooiveche

Hechenleitner, E.M., et al. (2025) A long-necked early dinosaur from a newly discovered Upper Triassic basin in the Andes. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09634-3

#Huayracursor #jaguensis

Samantha L. Beeston, et al. (2025). “New information on Late Triassic sauropodomorph dinosaurs provides support for the independent acquisition of postcranial skeletal pneumaticity in avemetatarsalian lineages.” Journal of Anatomy https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joa.70045

#sauropodomorph

Claire Peyre de Fabrègues,et al. (2025). “Leyesaurus marayensis (Dinosauria, Sauropodomorpha) from Northwestern Argentina: an update.” Ameghiniana https://www.ameghiniana.org.ar/index.php/ameghiniana/libraryFiles/downloadPublic/127

#leyesaurus #marayensis

Thomas Filek et al. (2025). “Tail of defence: an almost complete tail skeleton of Plateosaurus reveals possible defence strategies.” Royal Society Open Science https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.250325

#plateosaurus #trossingensis

Sina F. J. Dupuis, et al. (2025). “Osteology and histology of a Plateosaurus trossingensis from the Upper Triassic of Switzerland with an advanced chronic pathology.” Swiss Journal of Palaeontology https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13358-025-00368-3 #plateosaurus #trossingensis

Michael W. Maisch et al. (2024). Neubewertung von "Plateosaurus" ornatus von Huene, 1908 - ein früher Ornithischier aus dem Rhätbonebed? [Annual Report of the Society for Natural History in Württemberg] #plateosaurus #ornatus

Rémi Lefebvre et al. (2025). Evolution of the sauropodomorph astragalus: relationships with the emergence of the sauropod bauplan and weight-bearing function, and critical appraisal of evolutionary rate estimation. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article-abstract/204/4/zlaf077/8224426

André O Fonseca et al. (2025). “Osteology of the appendicular skeleton of #Macrocollum #itaquii sheds light on early dinosaur wrist evolution.” Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article-abstract/205/1/zlaf100/8248636

Alessandro Lania et al. (2025) Craniomandibular osteology of a new massopodan sauropodomorph from the Late Triassic (latest Norian) of Canton Aargau, Switzerland Swiss Journal of Palaeontology https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13358-025-00373-6

Xiang-Yuan Chen, et al. (2025). “A new species of Xingxiulong from the Lower Jurassic Lufeng formation of Yunnan Province, China.” Historical Biology https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08912963.2025.2458130 #Xingxiulong #yueorum

Ya-Ming Wang, et al. (2025). “A new Early Jurassic dinosaur represents the earliest-diverging and oldest sauropodomorph of East Asia.” Scientific Reports https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-12185-2 #wudingloon #wui

Paul M Barrett et al. (2024). “A brief history of #Massospondylus: its discovery, historical taxonomy and redescription of the original syntype series.” Palaeontologia africanahttps://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/items/ac85b6f0-23a8-4fa7-a1a2-878f3ee610ff #carinatus

Ethan D. Mooney, et al. (2025) Massospondylus embryos and hatchling provide new insights into early sauropodomorph ontogeny Swiss Journal of Palaeontology https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13358-025-00382-5

Han, F., et al. (2023). Exceptional Early Jurassic fossils with leathery eggs shed light on dinosaur reproductive biology. National Science Review doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwad258 #Qianlong #shouhu

Qian-Nan Zhang, et al. (2024). “The largest sauropodomorph skull from the Lower Jurassic Lufeng Formation of China.” PeerJ https://peerj.com/articles/18629/

#Lishulong #wangi

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Hellooow

Trick or treat! :D

Xingxiulong!

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Xingxiulong chengi

By Ripley Cook

Etymology: Dragon from the Xingxiu Bridge

First Described By: Wang et al., 2017

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Sauropodomorpha, Bagualosauria, Plateosauria, Massopoda, Sauropodiformes

Status: Extinct

Time and Place: Between 201.3 and 199.3 million years ago, in the Hettangian of the Early Jurassic 

Xingxiulong is known from the Shawan Member of the Lufeng Formation 

Physical Description: Xingxiulong was a medium-sized prosauropod, about four to five meters long with a height of one to one and a half meters at the hip. It had a smooth jaw, unlike other prosauropods of the time and place, and it had a long jaw like Lufengosaurus. It’s skull was somewhat short, much like that of the later Camarasaurus, and it would have relied more on its neck and hands to grab food rather than a longer snout. This broad snout would have also made it a generalist, rather than specialist, browser. It’s neck was fairly long and muscular, like in other Sauropodomorphs; it also had a long tail.

Xingxiulong was a fairly bulky and heavyset prosauropod, indicating the journey of this line of dinosaurs as it evolved into Sauropods (though of course, Sauropods were already around at this point in dinosaurian evolution). It even had more vertebrae at the hip, like sauropods, and unlike other prosauropods of its time and place. It also had a longer hip bone than prosauropods - once again, one more like the later sauropods. It’s legs were also very robust, like those of the sauropods. Xingxiulong had a very large gut, allowing it to store more food while digesting. This probably is correlated with its increased ability to hold up a large body weight, compared to its contemporaries. In short, Xingxiulong is a prime example of the slow, step-wise evolution of the prosauropods towards the large nature of the Sauropods - though,of course, Xingxiulong is just an offshoot of that line. 

Being somewhat larger, Xingxiulong probably was more scaly than not, though it still may have possessed feathers. It probably would have stille mostly walked on just its hindlimbs, though it may have been able to walk on its forelimbs when need be. It still would have mainly used its forelimbs in feeding, more than in locomotion. 

By José Carlos Cortés 

Diet: Xingxiulong would have been a mid-level browser, feeding on a variety of fairly dry vegetation by reaching up with its arms and long neck.

Behavior: Xingxiulong, unfortunately, doesn’t have a very well-known behavior, though it probably would have spent most of its time browsing in its environment. It would have had to walk around its environment carefully, given how bulky it was and its large mass; it probably wouldn’t have been the fastest of dinosaurs. As a prosauropod, it most likely was active in its metabolism, and it probably took care of its young. It’s also entirely likely that Xingxiulong would forage in its environment in mixed-species herds, with all the other prosauropods of the time and place in which it lived.

Ecosystem: Xingxiulong lived in the Shawan environment of the Lufeng Formation, one of a few classic environments showing off the initial explosion of dinosaur evolution after the end-Triassic extinction. This was a lush environment, with many lakes, rivers, and overbanks. As such, it would have been a very lush and green environment, though no plant fossils have been reported. Here there were many other kinds of animals, especially transitional dinosaurs. In many ways, it was a counterpart to the South African Elliot Formation, in what it shows about the early evolution of large dinosaurs - though the Elliot was much more arid than the Lufeng.  

By Scott Reid

Contemporary with Xingxiulong, there were many other Prosauropods that probably would have all grazed together in the plant line in mixed-species herds. Here, there was Jingshanosaurus, Yunnanosaurus, Lufengosaurus, and Gyposaurus, all in the specific environment from which Xingxiulong is known. There was also theropods like the smaller Panguraptor, and the large Sinosaurus which would have been a major pain for Xingxiulong. The potential Coelurosaur Eshanosaurus was present too, but this is doubtful and honestly it probably was just another prosauropod. Also present was Lukousaurus, which more likely than not is just a crocodilian. No ornithischians are known from the same environment as Xingxiulong, unfortunately.

Other: Xingxiulong, though very sauropod-like, was actually only midway on the sauropod family tree! Many animals, even in its own environment, were just as close to sauropods as Xingxiulong was. Still, Xingxiulong gives us a decent picture of how sauropods evolved at the Triassic-Jurassic transition.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut 

Apaldetti, C.; Martinez, R.N.; Pol, D.; Souter, T. (2014). "Redescription of the Skull of Coloradisaurus brevis (Dinosauria, Sauropodomorpha) from the Late Triassic Los Colorados Formation of the Ischigualasto-Villa Union Basin, northwestern Argentina". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 34 (5): 1113–1132.

Barrett, P.M.; Upchurch, P.; Wang, X.-L. (2005). "Cranial Osteology of Lufengosaurus huenei Young (Dinosauria: Prosauropoda) from the Lower Jurassic of Yunnan, People's Republic of China". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 25 (4): 806–822.

Barrett, P.M.; Upchurch, P.; Zhou, X.-D.; Wang, X.-L. (2007). "The skull of Yunnanosaurus huangi Young, 1942 (Dinosauria: Prosauropoda) from the Lower Lufeng Formation (Lower Jurassic) of Yunnan, China". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 150 (2): 319–341.

Lu, J.; Kobayashi, Y.; Li, T.; Zhong, S. (2010). "A New Basal Sauropod Dinosaur from the Lufeng Basin, Yunnan Province, Southwestern China". Acta Geologica Sinica. 84 (6): 1336–1342.

Luo, Z.; Wu, X.-C. (1997). "The small tetrapods of the Lower Lufeng Formation, Yunnan, China". In Fraser, N.C.; Sues, H.-D. (eds.). In the Shadow of the Dinosaurs: Early Mesozoic Tetrapods. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 251–270.

Martinez, R.N. (2009). "Adeopapposaurus mognai, gen. et sp. nov. (Dinosauria: Sauropodomorpha), with comments on adaptations of basal Sauropodomorpha". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 29 (1): 142–164.

McPhee, B.W.; Yates, A.M.; Choiniere, J.N.; Abdala, F. (2014). "The complete anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of Antetonitrus ingenipes (Sauropodiformes, Dinosauria): implications for the origins of Sauropoda". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 171 (1): 151–205.

McPhee, B.W.; Bonnan, M.F.; Yates, A.M.; Neveling, J.; Choiniere, J.N. (2015). "A new basal sauropod from the pre-Toarcian Jurassic of South Africa: evidence of niche-partitioning at the sauropodomorph–sauropod boundary?". Scientific Reports. 5: 13224.

McPhee, B.W.; Choiniere, J.N.; Yates, A.M.; Viglietti, P.A. (2015). "A second species of Eucnemesaurus Van Hoepen, 1920 (Dinosauria, Sauropodomorpha): new information on the diversity and evolution of the sauropodomorph fauna of South Africa's lower Elliot Formation (latest Triassic)". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 35 (5): e980504.

Otero, A.; Pol, D. (2013). "Postcranial Anatomy and Phylogenetic Relationships of Mussaurus patagonicus (Dinosauria, Sauropodomorpha)". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 33 (5): 1138–1168.

Pol, D.; Garrido, A.; Cerda, I.A. (2011). "A New Sauropodomorph Dinosaur from the Early Jurassic of Patagonia and the Origin and Evolution of the Sauropod-type Sacrum". PLoS ONE. 6 (1): e14572.

Prieto-Marquez, A.; Norell, M. (2011). "Redescription of a nearly complete skull of Plateosaurus (Dinosauria, Sauropodomorpha) from the late Triassic of Trossingen (Germany)". American Museum Novitates. 3727: 1–58.

Sues, H.-D.; Reisz, R.R.; Hinic, S.; Raath, M.A. (2004). "On the skull of Massospondylus carinatus Owen, 1854 (Dinosauria: Sauropodomorpha) from the Elliot and Clarens formations (Lower Jurassic) of South Africa". Annals of Carnegie Museum. 73 (4): 239–257.

Wang, Y.-M.; You, H.-L.; Wang, T. (2017). "A new basal sauropodiform dinosaur from the Lower Jurassic of Yunnan Province, China". Scientific Reports. 73: 41881.

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Xing, L.; Rothschild, B.M.; Ran, H.; Miyashita, T.; Persons, W.S.; Sekiya, T.; Zhang, J.; Wang, T.; Dong, Z. (2015). "Vertebral fusion in two Early Jurassic sauropodomorph dinosaurs from the Lufeng Formation of Yunnan, China". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 60 (3): 643–649.

Xu, X.; Zhao, X.; Clark, J.M. (2001). "A New Therizinosaur from the Lower Jurassic Lower Lufeng Formation of Yunnan, China". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 21 (3): 477–483.  

Yates, A.M.; Bonnan, M.F.; Neveling, J.; Chinsamy, A.; Blackbeard, M.G. (2009). "A new transitional sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Early Jurassic of South Africa and the evolution of sauropod feeding and quadrupedalism". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 277 (1682): 787–794.