Lufengosaurus

Lufengosaurus huenei · Lufengosaurus was a plant-eating dinosaur that lived during the Early Jurassic in what is now southwestern China.

It lived about 195 to 190 million years ago.

Lufengosaurus
Photo: Dlyj0604, CC BY-SA 4.0
Lufengosaurus
Photo: Tszho1997, CC BY 3.0
Lufengosaurus
Photo: Amongesle, CC BY-SA 3.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassReptilia
OrderSaurischia
FamilyMassospondylidae
GenusLufengosaurus
SpeciesLufengosaurus huenei

Where its fossils were found

Lufeng, Yunnan Province, southwestern China.

Fun facts

  • A Lufengosaurus skeleton was the first complete dinosaur skeleton mounted in China, and it appeared on a stamp, the first time ever a dinosaur was shown on one.
  • Scientists found preserved collagen protein in a Lufengosaurus fossil, over 100 million years older than any fossil protein recorded before.
  • Lufengosaurus had sharp claws, including an especially large thumb claw, which may have been used for defense or for raking leaves from trees.
  • Lufengosaurus embryos are the earliest evidence of vertebrate soft tissue preservation.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).