WINGS, O., SCHWARZ-WINGS, D. & FOWLER, D.W. (2011) New sauropod material from the Late Jurassic part of the Shishugou Formation (Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, NW China). Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen. DOI: 10.1127/0077-7749/2011/0183 [link to paper]

ABSTRACT

In April 2006, three new dinosaur localities were discovered in the upper part of the Middle to Late Jurassic Shishugou Formation within “Dinosaur Valley”, a classic Junggar Basin locality for Jurassic vertebrates. Recovered bones comprise cervical vertebrae of an adult and a juvenile sauropod and several sauropod forelimb elements. The vertebrae show several affinities to Mamenchisaurus , but a generic assignment cannot be undertaken considering the fragmentary nature of the material and the uncertain status of taxa assigned to the genus Mamenchisaurus . Comparisons make it likely that they are more closely related to Mamenchisaurus and Omeisaurus than to other eusauropods and Euhelopus . All vertebrae expose an accessory lamina at the vertebral centrum, which might also be present but remained undescribed in species of Mamenchisaurus . Indications in the forelimb elements, such as humerus, ulna, and pollex claw, do not allow a determination of the taxa, although there are no distinct differences to Mamenchisaurus . The remains are important because of their extreme size, including potentially the first recognized juvenile remains of a Mamenchisaurus relative, and demonstrate further evidence for the occurrence of non-neosauropod eusauropods in the Junggar Basin.