"Giraffe of the Mesozoic" Dino Found in China

Qiaowanlong Kangxii Fossil Proves Brachiosaurs in Asia

Sep 7, 2009

The Qiaowanlong kangxii, a brachiosaur roughly 40 feet long, is believed to have lived in Asia in the Early Cretaceous period.

A fossil of a dinosaur informally dubbed the “giraffe of the Mesozoic” has been found in the Yujinzi Basin of northwestern Gansu, China. It is the first ever Early Cretaceous brachiosaur sauropod discovered in the country and the dinosaur’s official genus name is Qiaowanlong kangxii. Paleontologists believe that the animal was roughly 40 feet long and 10 feet tall.

The new member of the brachiosaurid family matches characteristics of the rest of its family, such as four, large legs and a thin and long neck. The dinosaurs also had longer forelegs compared to their hind legs and were herbivores.

This particular genus closely resembles certain sauropod fossils that have been exclusively found in North America, adding to the theory that the two continents were once connected. Paleontologists are hoping this means that more brachiosaurid fossils are waiting to be uncovered in Asia.

Brachiosaur Debate Among Researchers

Discovery News points out that there is a current debate among paleontologists about brachiosaurs. Some believe the group of dinosaurs had begun to die out in the Early Cretaceous period and that they were only prevalent in North America and Africa. But the discoveries of the Qiaowanlong kangxii fossil and other similar brachiosaurs in the area show that the family did in fact live in Asia, and that they lived and thrived past the Jurassic era.

Co-authors of the paper that presented the dinosaur fossil (citation below), Hai-Lu You of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences in Beijing and Da-Qing Li of Gansu Provincial Bureau of Geo-exploration and Mineral Development, told Discovery News that the Qiaowanlong kangxii fossil dates back to 100 million years ago.

Wide Range of Brachiosaurs

The Qiaowanlong kangxii dinosaur is not to be confused with the widely-known and popular Brachiosaurus, which is a type of brachiosaur (meaning they are of the same family), but a different genus. The Brachiosaurus is one of the most recognizable dinosaurs and widely seen in popular culture, but the dinosaur was considerably larger than the Qiaowanlong kangxii.

Brachiosaurs are thought to be some of the largest animals to have ever roamed the Earth. The dinosaurs are believed to have stood on all four legs and they had spoon-like teeth that allowed them to eat tougher plants. Fossils of the family have been found in Asia, North America, Europe, and Africa.

To illustrate the wide range of sizes in sauropods, the dinosaur Supersaurus is believed to have been 130 feet long and the Ohmdenosaurus was only 13 feet long.

Scientific Classification

Citation:You, H.-L. and Li, D.-Q. (2009). "The first well-preserved Early Cretaceous brachiosaurid dinosaur in Asia." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, doi: 10.1098/rspb.2009.1278.

The copyright of the article "Giraffe of the Mesozoic" Dino Found in China in Dinosaurs is owned by Katy Burtner. Permission to republish "Giraffe of the Mesozoic" Dino Found in China in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.