Pronunciation: JEE-EN-CHAN-go-SOR-us
Meaning: Jianchang lizard
Author/s: Pu et al. (2013)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Liaoning, China
Discovery Chart Position: #827
Jianchangosaurus yixianensis
Jianchangosaurus is a member of Therizinosauria, which are a weird bunch, being all vegetarian, sickle-clawed theropods, and mostly wide-hipped, pot-bellied and sloth-like. But its jaws are also unusual in being somewhat downturned at the front, narrow and possibly beaked, with a tooth arrangement in the mid-to-back found in plant-grinding ornithopods and ceratopsians from the ornithischian side of the dinosaur family tree. Jianchangosaurus was adapted for herbivory in a way that other therizinosaurs were not, and happily co-existed in China's Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation alongside fellow "scythe lizard" Beipiaosaurus inexpectus who was built to favour a different food supply.
(Jianchang lizard from Yixian)Etymology
Jianchangosaurus is derived from "Jianchang" (the county in Liaoning Province, China, where it was found) and the Greek "saurus" (lizard).
The species epithet, yixianensis is derived from "Yixian" (the formation which yielded this specimen) and the Latin "-ensis" (from). ZooBank registry: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9F8AF9B5-B17A-4E1D-BCCE-D8EA05D2067E.
Discovery
The remains of Jianchangosaurus were discovered in the Yixian Formation. Niujiaogou of Jianchang, Liaoning Province, China. The holotype (41HIII-0308A - housed at Henan Geological Museum) is a nearly complete juvenile skeleton with skull.
