Yunguisaurus
Encyclopedia
Yunguisaurus is an extinct genus
of pistosaur known from the Guizhou Province of China
.
NMNS
004529/F003862, an articulate
d and almost complete skeleton
missing only the distal tail. The preserved skeleton has a length of about 1.7 m (66.9 in). It was collected near Huangnihe River, Chajiang of Guizhou, from the Falang Formation. It is thought to belong to the Paragondolella naantangensis-P. polygnathiformis Assemblage Zone, dating to the Carnian
stage of the early Late Triassic
. It differs from other pistosauroids by a combination of characters. Nevertheless, its original description is a preliminary report while the postcranial skeleton still waits for further preparation and full description.
and the type species
is Yunguisaurus liae. The generic name is derived from the Yungui Gaoyuan, a plateau named after the Yunnan
and Guizhou
provinces, in which the holotype was found, and saurus, Greek
for "lizard". The specific name honors IVPP Professor Jinling Li for contributing to the recent study of the Chinese Triassic marine vertebrate fauna.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of pistosaur known from the Guizhou Province of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Description
Yunguisaurus is known from the holotypeHolotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
NMNS
National Museum of Natural Science
The National Museum of Natural Science is a national museum in Taichung, Taiwan.-Overview:The museum covers and is a six-venue complex housing: the Space IMAX Theater, Science Center, Life Science Hall, Human Cultures Hall, Global Environment Hall, and Botanical Garden.The Research and Collection...
004529/F003862, an articulate
Articulate
Articulate may refer to:*Articulate *Articulate sign*Articulate sound*Joint, also known as articulation*Word modified by an article...
d and almost complete skeleton
Skeleton
The skeleton is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism. There are two different skeletal types: the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, and the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside the body.In a figurative sense, skeleton can...
missing only the distal tail. The preserved skeleton has a length of about 1.7 m (66.9 in). It was collected near Huangnihe River, Chajiang of Guizhou, from the Falang Formation. It is thought to belong to the Paragondolella naantangensis-P. polygnathiformis Assemblage Zone, dating to the Carnian
Carnian
The Carnian is the lowermost stage of the Upper Triassic series . It lasted from about 228.7 till 216.5 million years ago . The Carnian is preceded by the Ladinian and is followed by the Norian...
stage of the early Late Triassic
Late Triassic
The Late Triassic is in the geologic timescale the third and final of three epochs of the Triassic period. The corresponding series is known as the Upper Triassic. In the past it was sometimes called the Keuper, after a German lithostratigraphic group that has a roughly corresponding age...
. It differs from other pistosauroids by a combination of characters. Nevertheless, its original description is a preliminary report while the postcranial skeleton still waits for further preparation and full description.
Etymology
Yunguisaurus was first named by Yen-Nien Cheng, Tamaki Sato, Xiao-Chun Wu and Chun Li in 20062006 in paleontology
-Insects:-Tetrapodomorphs:-Newly named temnospondylians:-Newly named amphibians:-Ichthyosaurs:-Newly named basal lepidosauromorphs:-Newly named plesiosaurs:-Newly named squamates:-Newly named crurotarsans:-Newly named dinosaurs:...
and the type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
is Yunguisaurus liae. The generic name is derived from the Yungui Gaoyuan, a plateau named after the Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
and Guizhou
Guizhou
' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
provinces, in which the holotype was found, and saurus, Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
for "lizard". The specific name honors IVPP Professor Jinling Li for contributing to the recent study of the Chinese Triassic marine vertebrate fauna.