Pronunciation: hwohng-SHAHN-long
Meaning: Huangshan dragon
Author/s: Huang et al. (2014)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Anhui, China
Discovery Chart Position: #864
Huangshanlong anhuiensis
When palaeontologists discover a new sauropod in China, more often than not they assign it to Mamenchisauridae—a sauropod family whose members are renowned for having a stupendously long neck—whether their remains include neck fossils or not. Such was the case with Huangshanlong, whose fossilised booty lacks not only a neck but also almost everything else. It is, however, represented by three bones from the right arm, two of which sport hallmark features that are found only in mamenchisaurids, plus a half dozen features across the three bones that make it unique amongst its clan.
Huangshanlong represents the second dinosaur known from Anhui Province (after the herbivorous head-banger Wannanosaurus) and the first Anhui Province dinosaur from the Jurassic period. And although described by a chap called Huang he didn't name it after himself, but after the City of Huang Shan ("Yellow Mountain") where it was found.
Huangshanlong represents the second dinosaur known from Anhui Province (after the herbivorous head-banger Wannanosaurus) and the first Anhui Province dinosaur from the Jurassic period. And although described by a chap called Huang he didn't name it after himself, but after the City of Huang Shan ("Yellow Mountain") where it was found.
(Huangshan dragon from Anhui)Etymology
Huangshanlong is derived from "Huangshan" (the city in which it was discovered) and the Chinese "Long" (dragon).
The species epithet, anhuiensis, is derived from "Anhui" (for Anhui Province) and the Latin "ensis" (from).
Discovery
The remains of Huangshanlong were discovered in the Hongqin Formation at Shexian Town, Tunxi District, Huangshan City (called "Huizhou" in ancient times), Shexian County, Anhui Province, China, during construction of the Huihang highway in July 2002. The holotype (AGB5818) is a partial arm (humerus, radius and ulna) from the right side.
