A new dinosaur species discovered in China is being called “extreme”-and for good reason. The dino’s neck is so long that it makes up more than half of the creature’s huge 49-foot-long body. The dinosaur-dubbed Qijianglong guokr, or “dragon of Qijiang”-is believed to have roamed Asia about 160 million years ago…
A new species of dinosaur that existed 160 million years ago with a super-long neck has been discovered from fossil remains recovered in China. The animal’s neck measured half the length of its 15-meter long body.
The species was discovered by a team of paleontologists from the University of Alberta, Canada, including professor Philip Currie, Ph.D. student Tatsuto Miyashita, and former master’s student Lida Xing.
The findings have been published in the latest issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (citation below).
The Late Jurassic species has been named Qijianglong (pronounced: CHI-jyang-lon), which means Dragon of Qijiang. It was discovered near Qijiang City, close to Chongqing, Southwest China.
Artist’s conception of Qijianglong being chased by two carnivorous dinosaurs in southern China 160 million years ago. (Illustration: Lida Xing. Image: University of Alberta)
Construction workers found the fossil site in 2006, and diggers eventually came across a series of large neck vertebrae stretched out in the ground. Amazingly, the animal’s head was still attached.
Mr. Miyashita explained:
“It is rare to find a head and neck of a long-necked dinosaur together because the head is so small and easily detached after the animal dies.”
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