Large Reptiles-Dinosaurs

Reptiles are a subclass of Vertebrates. Most of them are terrestrial, and a few of them live in water, but they all breathe with their lungs. There are two ways of reproduction: oviparous and viviparous. It first appeared in the Carboniferous and flourished in the Mesozoic. In modern times, there are only surviving categories such as turtles, turtles and crocodiles.

dinosaurs belong to reptiles, which means "scary lizards". They are the general names of sauropods and ornithopods. The fossil records appeared in the Late Triassic and were extinct in the Late Cretaceous. They were the most important vertebrates in the Mesozoic terrestrial ecosystem and dominated the earth for more than 16 million years.

dinosaurs can be divided into carnivores and herbivores according to their living habits. Some dinosaurs are extremely huge, with a maximum length of tens of meters and a weight of tons.

Figure 3.126 Structure Diagram of Dinosaur Skeleton

Figure 3.127 Relationship Diagram of Dinosaur, Pterosaur and Birds

Dinosaur bones have a lot of blocks, and different parts of bones have different morphological structures, so different kinds of dinosaurs have different bones in the same part, which is why dinosaur species can be assembled and identified according to sporadic bone fossils.

What I want to mention here is that pterosaurs are also called "dragons", but they are not dinosaurs, but dinosaurs' partners and evolutionary branches of reptiles. Pterosaurs were the first group of vertebrates to fly into the sky. Pterosaurs lived for almost the same time as dinosaurs, and disappeared with dinosaurs in the mass extinction about 65 million years ago. Pterosaur is characterized by a particularly long fourth phalanx of its forelimb, which supports the skin membrane extending from the side of its body and becomes wings, suitable for flying in the air.

dinosaurs are egg-laying animals. At present, the classification of dinosaur eggs is not completely unified. Zhao Zikui and others divided the dinosaur egg discovered in Laiyang into 4 egg families, 5 egg genera and 11 egg species, including long eggs, round eggs, oval eggs and reticulated eggs. They are as follows:

Figure 3.128 Pterosaur Restoration Diagram

Elangotolithidae

Elangotolithus

Elangotolithus

Elongatoolithus andrewsi；;

sphereolithidae

sphereolithus

sphereolithus chiangchiungingensis

thick-skinned round egg? S.megadermus

Paraspherolithus

Paraspheroolithus irensis；;

Ovololithidae

Ovololithius

Ovalooltihus chinkangkotlensis；;

oval egg Ovalooltihus monostriatus；;

oval egg oval with three stripes;

oval egg oval with mixed grain;

Oval Oval Egg Ovalooltihus laminadermus；;

dictyolithidae

dictyolithidae belongs to dictyolithihus

dictyolithihus jiangensis.

There are many classification schemes of dinosaur footprints, but at present Richard Swann Lull's classification methods of footprint family, footprint genus and footprint are mainly adopted. At the same time, the footprint family is classified into the orders and classes in the natural classification system.

China dinosaur footprint fossils officially named by Chinese scientists have exceeded 28 genera and 35 species. Shandong is rich in dinosaur footprint fossils. According to incomplete statistics, as of 211, as many as 1, dinosaur footprint fossils have been found, mainly distributed in Zhucheng, Linshu, Junan, Laiyang and Xintai. At present, five species have been officially named, namely: Yang's Footprint of Tiaojiaolong, Shandong Chilong Footprint, Oriental Strong Lily Footprint, Liu's Footprint of Laiyang, and South Xiaolong Footprint of Daishuo.

Shandong is a big province producing dinosaur fossils, mainly in Cretaceous strata, which are found in Laiyang Group, Sheng Qun Group and Wangshi Group. There are not only skeleton fossils, but also dinosaur eggs and footprint fossils, and some of them are distributed in groups. Typical producing areas are Zhucheng, Laiyang, Linshu, Junan and Xintai.

in p>214, a dinosaur science research expert group composed of 12 famous paleontologists including Dong Zhiming released the "Top Ten Most Famous Dinosaurs in China in a Hundred Years" at the first International Dinosaur Festival. Among them, the division's Panzusaurus, Spiny-nosed Qingdao Dragon and Giant Shandong Dragon in Shandong Province are on the list.

Figure 3.129 Restoration Map of Giant Tyrannosaurus Zhucheng

Figure 3.13 Restoration Map of Giant Shandong Dragon (according to Wang Lixia et al., 212)

Figure 3.131 Restoration Map of Spiny-nosed Qingdao Dragon (according to Wang Lixia et al., 212)

● Zhuchengosaurus, a genus of Urodontidae. Produced in late Cretaceous Hongtuya Formation in Zhucheng, Shandong Province. The dinosaur skeleton exists in Zhucheng Dinosaur Museum.

figure 3.132 Zhucheng dragon

figure 3.133 Zhucheng dragon

figure 3.133 Zhucheng dragon skeleton, with a length of 6m, a width of 1.5m and a height of 2m, contains 2% fossils. Produced in late Cretaceous Hongtuya Formation in Zhucheng.

● Zhuchengosaurus maximus, a genus of the family Duckbilled, of the order Avipoda

: The skull is thick and long, with a flat back and a longitudinal ridge in the center; The maxilla is a thick triangle, the mandible is high, the bottom is straight, the lower gum is thin, and the dentition is slightly longer than the front toothless part; The coronal process of the odontoid bone is perpendicular to the upper edge of the odontoid bone.

fig. 3.134 Giant Zhucheng Dragon (skull, ×.3)

fig. 3.135 Giant Zhucheng Dragon

The sacrum of Giant Zhucheng Dragon (fig. 3.135) consists of 9 vertebral bodies, and its ventral surface is flat, with only an inconspicuous depression in the center; The pubic bone is slightly bent and the ischium suddenly reaches; The ischium is long and straight. The body is 9.1m high and 16.6m long. In 1992, Zhao Xijin, a researcher at the Institute of vertebrate paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, installed and named the giant Zhucheng Dragon. It was the tallest ornithopod in the world at that time.

occurs in the Singerzhuang Formation of Wang Group in the Late Cretaceous in Longgujian, Zhucheng, Shandong Province.

● Ceratosaurus (Ceratosaurus) from China (Ceratosauridae)

China Ceratosaurus (Ceratosaurus) belongs to Ceratosaurus. Figure 3.136 shows a skeleton of China Ceratosaurus, with a length of 6m, a width of 1.2m and a height of 1.7m. The whole skeleton contains 3% fossils, and the fossils are from the late Cretaceous Hongtuya Formation in Zhucheng, Shandong.

fig. 3.136 China ceratosaurus

● Ceratosauridae, a Chinese ceratosaurus

Zhucheng China ceratosaurus: fig. 3.137 is a fossil of China ceratosaurus in Zhucheng, with a size of .71m long, .15m wide and .1m high, which was produced in the lateritic cliff formation in Zhucheng in the late Cretaceous.

fig. 3.137 China ceratosaurus skeleton in Zhucheng

fig. 3.138 is a fossil of ceratosaurus neck shield in China, Zhucheng, which is found in the strata of Hongtuya Formation in late Cretaceous in Zhucheng, and its size is .98m long, .2m wide and .15m high.

Fig.3.138 Skeleton of China Ceratosaurus in Zhucheng

The skull of China Ceratosaurus in Zhucheng is over 18cm in length and at least 15cm in width, and there is a stout horn over 3cm in front of its head. There are more than 1 curved angles at the rear edge of the head.

fig. 3.139 Zhucheng China Ceratosaurus

fig. 3.14 Accidental Zhucheng Ceratosaurus

Accidental Zhucheng Ceratosaurus: fig. 3.14 shows an accidental Zhucheng Ceratosaurus skeleton, which is 46.5cm long, 8cm wide and 6cm high. Produced in late Cretaceous Hongtuya Formation in Zhucheng.

The maxilla has a dentate posterior branch, and the mandible is tall and thin, and there are two large holes on the surface of the mandible. These two holes are separated by the curved ridge at the interface between the odontoid bone and the splint bone. The anterior odontoid bone is nearly vertical, and the front edge of the odontoid bone is deeper than the coracoid process. The McBride's sulcus is covered with odontoid bone and splint bone, and the front end is wider than the rear end. There is a special hole in the upper corner bone in front of the articular fossa. From the side, the upper corner bone has a back branch that goes deep.

fig. 3.141 unexpected Zhucheng ceratosaurus

● A giant Huaxiaosaurus aigahtens belonging to the genus Cathaysauridae of the order Avipoda

: fig. 3.142 shows a coccyx fossil, which is 77cm long, 32cm wide and 15cm high.

fig. 3.142 skeleton of Cathaysian dragon

fig. 3.143 shows a huge skeleton of Cathaysian dragon, with a body length of 21m, a width of 3m and a height of 12m. The whole skeleton contains 3% fossils, and the sacrum vertebra is composed of 1 vertebrae fused together. The skull is huge and narrow, and the top surface of the skull is obviously sunken, the back end of the top surface is 11cm, and the front end is 5cm, with a small head and a thin neck. Produced in late Cretaceous Hongtuya Formation in Zhucheng, Shandong Province.

fig. 3.143 Giant Cathaysian Dragon

● Shantungosaurus gi-ganteus, belonging to the genus Shantungosaurus of the family Duckbilled, is a long skull, with a wide and high back and a flat top, which is very concave from the back of the upper temporal foramen forward to the frontal bone. The dentition of the odontoid bone is long, with 6 ~ 63 gullies, and the toothless part in front of the tooth is long. The sacrum spine consists of 1 vertebrae, and there is a deep straight groove on the ventral surface. The ischium is straight, with a tiny spire at the end. The individual animals are very large, with a total length of more than 14m. Produced in the Late Cretaceous Jingtuya Formation in Zhucheng.

fig. 3.144 Giant Shandong Dragon

● Psittacosaurus si-nensis (Psittacosaurus Si-nensis) is a genus of Psittacosauridae, a bird-buttock order. It is a small individual with a total length of 675mm. The skull is short and wide, the zygomatic process is centered, the middle edge of the zygomatic process is well developed, and the front end of the mandible is flush with the upper jaw. There are 9 cervical vertebrae, 13 dorsal vertebrae, 6 sacral vertebrae and about 31 coccygeal vertebrae. Abdominal ribs are not well developed. There are 8 upper teeth, 9 lower teeth, and the fifth tooth is the largest, with 4 small edges before and after the middle edge of each tooth. The cavity bone is much longer than the femur. Produced in Linjiazhuang Formation of Wang Group in Laiyang in Late Cretaceous.

fig. 3.145 Chinese parrotbill (×.2)

fig. 3.146 Chinese parrotbill

fig. 3.147 Chinese parrotbill

● Psittacosaurus yo-ungi (Psittacosaurus yo-ungi), a member of the genus Psittacosauridae, is of medium length and less than 1m in total length. Skull is the shortest of all known species, and its head is longer than its width, with a ratio of 1∶.88. The distance from the zygomatic process to the back end of the head is one third of the head length. The foramen magnum is developed, which is twice as large as the occipital condyle. Ear deficiency is not obvious. The fossa quadratus is well developed. There are 8 maxillary and mandibular teeth, of which the fourth maxillary tooth is the largest. There are three small edges in front of and behind the middle edge of the tooth. The vertebral body is flat and concave, with 15 dorsal vertebrae, 7 sacral vertebrae, and the second sacral vertebra is the largest. The ribs are thick, and the ribs on the upper edge of the intestine are developed. Produced in Linjiazhuang Formation of Wang Group in Laiyang in Late Cretaceous.

fig. 3.148 Young's parrot-billed dragon (skull, ×.4)

fig. 3.149 Spiny-nosed Qingdao Dragon

Tsintaosaurus spi-norhinus: The nasal bone of the skull forms a tubular protrusion, which protrudes upward and forwards, and its end is widened. There are well-developed transverse ribs in the posterior upper part of the skull. The upper temporal foramen is wide left and right, and the end of the forehead bone is slightly curled upward. The number of teeth is small. It seems that there are 8 vertebrae synthesized in the sacrum, and there are obvious straight edges in the middle on the ventral side, followed by grooves. There are about 11 vertebrae in the neck, 15 in the back and 6 in the tail. The forelimbs and scapula are huge, with wide ends, and the humerus is longer than the flexor bone; The upper part of the hindlimb and intestinal bone is quite raised, the end of the ischium is enlarged in a primitive foot shape, the femur is huge, the end is perforated, and the tibia is slightly longer than the femur. Produced in the late Cretaceous Wang Group in Laiyang.

fig. 3.15 left humerus, right scapula and bone coracoid bone of Tsingtao sauropod

fig. 3.151 Tanius Laiyang's skeleton (×.14)

● Tanius laiyangen-sis, a genus of Dactylogyrtidae, of the order Avipoda: the sacrum is composed of 9 vertebrae, the 6th. The nerve spines of the sacrum spine are high and thin, and the transverse process is almost horizontal, and the last two are larger. The hip bone is thick and the intestinal process is small. Produced in the late Cretaceous Wang Group in Laiyang.

fig. 3.152 China Tantalosaurus restoration map

Tanius sinensis of China: 4-5m in length, flat and unadorned at the top of the skull, with 9-11 healing vertebrae and flaky nerve spines in the sacrum, and deep grooves on the ventral surface of the sacrum. The end of the ischium is slightly enlarged. Produced in the late Cretaceous Wang Group in Laiyang.

● Microppachycephalosaurus hongtuyanensis, a genus of Crotalopteridae, is a small cephalosaurus with a length of 5-6 cm. The parietal scale bone on the head is swollen and thick, but it is relatively flat, not arched, and the superior temporal foramen is not closed. There is no obvious raised comb ornament on the head. The mandible is high, with slender teeth in a single row, with a middle ridge on the outside of the teeth and symmetrical small teeth on the front and back sides. The recommended vertebral body is biplanar, with 6 healed recommended vertebrae, and the second recommended vertebral body is enlarged, and the transverse process and the recommended rib are healed and become thick. There are ribs on the recommendation part. Produced in the late Cretaceous Wang Group in Laiyang.

fig. 3.153 skeleton of the red mud cliff (×.55)

● sauropod Tyrannosaurus Zhucheng

Giant Zhucheng Tyrannosaurus: a theropod dinosaur. Figure 3.154 shows a skull fossil of Tyrannosaurus Zhucheng, which is 54cm long, 2cm wide and 8cm high. Fossils occur in late Cretaceous Hongtuya Formation in Zhucheng.

Figure 3.154 Giant Tyrannosaurus Zhucheng Skull

Figure 3.155 Giant Tyrannosaurus Zhucheng Skeleton

Euhelopus zdanskyi, the earliest dragon-shaped dinosaur discovered in China, is now preserved in Uppsala University, Sweden.

In p>1913, Father Pater R.Merten was in Ningjiagou, Mengyin (now