| Shenzhousaurus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Holotype,Geological Museum of China | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | Theropoda |
| Clade: | †Ornithomimosauria |
| Clade: | †Macrocheiriformes |
| Genus: | †Shenzhousaurus Jiet al.,2003 |
| Species: | †S. orientalis |
| Binomial name | |
| †Shenzhousaurus orientalis Jiet al., 2003 | |
Shenzhousaurus (meaning "Shenzhou lizard") is agenus ofbasalornithomimosaur from the LowerCretaceous ofChina.[1]
Theholotype (NGMC 97-4-002, National Geological Museum of China) was collected from near the bottom (fluvial beds) of theYixian Formation (Aptian) at the Sihetun fossil site, Beipiao, westernLiaoning Province. This specimen consists of a partial skeleton preserved on asandstone slab in a "death pose," its head above thetorso. Thedistal parts of the hindlimbs, distal portion of the tail, and theforelimbs (except for part of the right hand) and thepectoral girdle are missing. The head is crushed, exposing the left side obliquely.
Shenzhousaurus was first described by Qiang Ji, Mark Norell, Peter J. Makovicky, Keqin Gao, Shu-An Ji and Chongxi Yuan in2003 and thetype species isShenzhousaurus orientalis. The genus is currentlymonotypic and appears to be more derived thanPelecanimimus polyodon, yet less derived thanHarpymimus oklandikovi. It may be distinguished from the latter by its "straight ischial shaft and acuminateposterior end of theilium" and from all other ornithomimosaurs exceptingHarpymimus by the relative length ofmetacarpal I (only half that of metacarpal II) and in that its reduceddentition is restricted to the symphyseal portion of thedentary. The holotype skull measure 185 mm. A number ofpebbles found in thethoracic cavity have been interpreted asgastroliths.
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