Pronunciation:
Meaning: Daxia giant
Author/s: You et al. (2008)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Gansu, China
Discovery Chart Position: #641
Daxiatitan binglingi
(Daxia Giant of Bingling Temple)Etymology
Daxiatitan is derived from the Chinese "Daxia" (a branch of the Yellow River that runs along the Linxia area of Gansu Province where the fossils were found) and the Greek "Titan" (Giant). The species epithet, binglingi, is derived from the Tibetan "Bingling" (one hundred thousand Buddhas), referring to Bingling Temple, a famous attraction near the Liujiaxia dam along the Yellow River, 80 km from Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu.
Discovery
The remains of Daxiatitan were discovered in the Upper Formation of the Hekou Group (Lanzhou Basin), along the Daxia River, Gansu Province, northwestern China, by the crew of the former Fossil Research and Development Centre of the Third Geology and Mineral Resources Exploration Academy of Gansu Province, in 2007.
The holotype (GSLTZP03-001) includes 10 neck vertebrae, 10 back vertebrae, 2 tail vertebrae, some ribs, a chevron, the right shoulder girdle and a right thigh.
