Abrosaurus

Abrosaurus
Temporal range: 168–161 Ma Middle Jurassic
Illustration of the skull showing known remains in gray.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Sauropodomorpha
Clade: Sauropoda
Clade: Macronaria
Genus: Abrosaurus
Ouyang, 1989
Type species
Abrosaurus dongpoi
Ouyang, 1989

Abrosaurus (/ˌæbrˈsɔːrəs/; 'delicate lizard' from the Greek αβρος meaning 'delicate' or 'dainty' and σαυρος meaning 'lizard') is a genus of macronarian sauropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic Period of what is now Asia, one of many dinosaurs found at the Dashanpu Quarry in the Sichuan Province of China.[1] Like most sauropods, Abrosaurus was a quadrupedal herbivore but it was rather small for a sauropod, not much more than 30 feet (9.1 m) long. Its head was boxy and topped with a tall bony arch containing the nostrils.

The generic name (meaning "delicate lizard") refers to the nature of the skull, with large openings separated by thin bony struts. The only named species is A. dongpoi, is named after eleventh-century Chinese poet Su Shi, also known as Su Dongpo, who was born in Sichuan.

Illustration of the head of Abrosaurus
  1. ^ Hui, O. (1989). "A new sauropod from Dashanpu, Zigong Co. Sichuan Province (Abrosaurus dongpoensis gen. et sp. nov.)" (PDF). Zigong Dinosaur Museum Newsletter. 2: 10–14.