#lishulong

(Skull of Lishulong wangi, from Zhang et al., 2024)

Meaning of name: Lishulong = Lishu dragon [in Chinese]; wangi = for Wang Zheng-Ju [Chinese fossil hunter]

Age: Early Jurassic (Sinemurian–Toarcian)

Where found: Lufeng Formation, Yunnan, China

How much is known: Partial skull and nine neck vertebrae of one individual.

Notes: Lishulong was an early sauropodomorph. Although many Early Jurassic sauropodomorphs have been named from the Lufeng Formation, Lishulong is the largest one yet found among them, and differs from the others in details of its skull and neck vertebrae. It appears to be closely related to fellow Lufeng sauropodomorph Yunnanosaurus.

The latest episode of Dinosaurs Lately is out for Christmas ! Episode 7 - Sauropodomorphs (Winter 2025) is available for download or streaming at Podbean: https://jurassickparkcast.podbean.com/e/dinosaurs-lately-sauropodomorphs-winter-2025/ and Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6pZZc9OT0s

Lísie V S Damke et al. (2024). “New specimens of Saturnalia tupiniquim (Dinosauria: Sauropodomorpha): insights into intraspecific variation, rostral anatomy, and skull size.” Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae156

#Saturnalia

David M Lovelace et al. (2025). "Rethinking dinosaur origins: oldest known equatorial dinosaur-bearing assemblage (mid-late Carnian Popo Agie FM, Wyoming, USA)," Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae153

#Ahvaytum #bahndooiveche

Hechenleitner, E.M., et al. (2025) A long-necked early dinosaur from a newly discovered Upper Triassic basin in the Andes. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09634-3

#Huayracursor #jaguensis

Samantha L. Beeston, et al. (2025). “New information on Late Triassic sauropodomorph dinosaurs provides support for the independent acquisition of postcranial skeletal pneumaticity in avemetatarsalian lineages.” Journal of Anatomy https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joa.70045

#sauropodomorph

Claire Peyre de Fabrègues,et al. (2025). “Leyesaurus marayensis (Dinosauria, Sauropodomorpha) from Northwestern Argentina: an update.” Ameghiniana https://www.ameghiniana.org.ar/index.php/ameghiniana/libraryFiles/downloadPublic/127

#leyesaurus #marayensis

Thomas Filek et al. (2025). “Tail of defence: an almost complete tail skeleton of Plateosaurus reveals possible defence strategies.” Royal Society Open Science https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.250325

#plateosaurus #trossingensis

Sina F. J. Dupuis, et al. (2025). “Osteology and histology of a Plateosaurus trossingensis from the Upper Triassic of Switzerland with an advanced chronic pathology.” Swiss Journal of Palaeontology https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13358-025-00368-3 #plateosaurus #trossingensis

Michael W. Maisch et al. (2024). Neubewertung von "Plateosaurus" ornatus von Huene, 1908 - ein früher Ornithischier aus dem Rhätbonebed? [Annual Report of the Society for Natural History in Württemberg] #plateosaurus #ornatus

Rémi Lefebvre et al. (2025). Evolution of the sauropodomorph astragalus: relationships with the emergence of the sauropod bauplan and weight-bearing function, and critical appraisal of evolutionary rate estimation. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article-abstract/204/4/zlaf077/8224426

André O Fonseca et al. (2025). “Osteology of the appendicular skeleton of #Macrocollum #itaquii sheds light on early dinosaur wrist evolution.” Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article-abstract/205/1/zlaf100/8248636

Alessandro Lania et al. (2025) Craniomandibular osteology of a new massopodan sauropodomorph from the Late Triassic (latest Norian) of Canton Aargau, Switzerland Swiss Journal of Palaeontology https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13358-025-00373-6

Xiang-Yuan Chen, et al. (2025). “A new species of Xingxiulong from the Lower Jurassic Lufeng formation of Yunnan Province, China.” Historical Biology https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08912963.2025.2458130 #Xingxiulong #yueorum

Ya-Ming Wang, et al. (2025). “A new Early Jurassic dinosaur represents the earliest-diverging and oldest sauropodomorph of East Asia.” Scientific Reports https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-12185-2 #wudingloon #wui

Paul M Barrett et al. (2024). “A brief history of #Massospondylus: its discovery, historical taxonomy and redescription of the original syntype series.” Palaeontologia africanahttps://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/items/ac85b6f0-23a8-4fa7-a1a2-878f3ee610ff #carinatus

Ethan D. Mooney, et al. (2025) Massospondylus embryos and hatchling provide new insights into early sauropodomorph ontogeny Swiss Journal of Palaeontology https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13358-025-00382-5

Han, F., et al. (2023). Exceptional Early Jurassic fossils with leathery eggs shed light on dinosaur reproductive biology. National Science Review doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwad258 #Qianlong #shouhu

Qian-Nan Zhang, et al. (2024). “The largest sauropodomorph skull from the Lower Jurassic Lufeng Formation of China.” PeerJ https://peerj.com/articles/18629/