Dinosaurs - Lufengosaurus huenei

Introduction

Lufengosaurus huenei was a plant-eating dinosaur that lived about 195-190 million years ago. It was probably able to stand and walk on its hind legs as well as on all fours. It was a prosauropod, an early relative of the more massive sauropods. It belonged to the family Plateosauridae.

Identification

Lufengosaurus huenei had:

• small flat teeth with serrated edges which enabled it to shred plants;
• strong hind legs which enabled it to stand and reach leaves high up in trees;
• short front legs that were strong enough for it to walk on all fours;
• five digits on each limb with a large thumb claw that it may have used for defence;
• a big tail that helped to counter-balance its body.

Distribution

Lufengosaurus huenei occurred in the Early Jurassic of southwestern China near Lufeng in Yunnan province from the Lower Lufeng.

Feeding and diet

Lufengosaurus huenei was a plant-eating dinosaur.

Fossils description

This dinosaur was discovered by Dr C C Young, a Chinese dinosaur expert. He named it Lufengosaurus because it was found at Lufeng, and huenei after his teacher, F F von Huene.