The Chialingosaurus was one of the herbivorous dinosaurs that are classified under the family of the Stegosauridae and suborder Stegosauria. The dinosaur is one of the oldest types of the Stegosaur species and lived about 160 million years ago in the Upper Jurassic Period.
Key facts
| Domain | Description |
|---|---|
| Chialingosaurus pronunciation | Chee-a-ling-o-sore-us |
| What does Chialingosaurus mean? | Chialingosaurus kuani means “lizard from Chiangli”, which was the place that the dinosaur was found and kuani is the name that honors the person who discovered the fossil. |
| Dinosaur type | Sauropod |
| On the menu | Herbivore |
| Length | 13 feet (4 meters) |
| Height | About 1.5 meters (4 ft) |
| Weight | 350 lbs (160 kg) |
| Life expectancy | There are not enough specimens yet to measure the life expectancy of a Chialingosaurus, but some scientists believe that it had the same life span as the apatosaurus and diplodocus dinosaurs which were around 70-80 years. |
| Legs used to get around | Quadruped |
| Estimated top speed | Unlike other dinosaurs, animals from the Stegosauria suborder were said to have a slower gait. Some sources cite the speed range as 3.7-4.3 mph (6-7 kph). But, there is no evidence yet if the same applies to the Chialingosaurus. |
| When they lived | The Chialingosaurus lived during the Upper Jurassic Period, which was about 160 million years ago. |
| Where they have been found? | The fossils were found near the Chialing River in South China. |
When & Where
The fossils of the Chialingosaurus were found and collected by geologist Kuan in 1957. Two years later, the dinosaur was named by paleontologist Yang Zhongjian, also known as C.C. Young after working greatly with the specimens that were found.
Size & Weight
It is believed that the Chialingosaurus only grew up to be 13 feet long or 4 meters long, and weighing only 150 kg, which is much smaller than the Stegosaurus.
Mobility & Diet
Since the Chialingosaurus belong to the group Stegosauridae they were herbivore feeding on plant materials. During the Late Cretaceous, it was believed that ferns and cycads were its origin primary meal because of their availability.
Interesting Points
- Lived around 160 million years ago during the Late Jurassic Era, much before the predominant stegosaurus have been born.
- Besides being one of the oldest known stegosaurus, the discovery of the dinosaur was also the very first discovery that was described in China.