Pronunciation: nay-MOHN-go-SOR-us
Meaning: Nei Mongol lizard
Author/s: Zhang et al. (2001)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Sanhangobi, China
Discovery Chart Position: #492
Neimongosaurus yangi
Therizinosaurs are an unusual bunch of herbivorous theropods, and each newly discovered species seems to add its own unique spin to their weirdness. Neimongosaurus, for example, was only 2-3 meters long but sported fourteen neck vertebrae. Possibly. By their admission, authors Zhang et al. may have counted one too many of those bones. But even with a mere thirteen, Neimongosaurus still boasts one of the longest series of neck vertebrae ever recorded among non-bird theropods and even puts some sauropods to shame. For comparison, humans have seven neck vertebrae. That being said, giraffes have seven neck vertebrae too, so it's not the number of vertebrae that giveth the long neck but the length of each one.
(Yang's Inner Mongolian lizard)Etymology
Neimongosaurus is derived from "Nei Mongol" (the Chinese name for Inner Mongolia) and the Greek "sauros" (lizard).
The species epithet (or specific name), yangi, honours Yang Zhongjian (aka C.C. [Chung Chien] Young) "the founder of vertebrate palaeontology in China".
Discovery
The remains of Neimongosaurus were discovered in the Iren Dabasu Formation at Sanhangobi, Sunitezuoqi, 20km southwest of
Erlian city, Nei Mongol, China, by a Zhang Xiao Hong-led team from the Department of Land and Resources in 1999. This area has also yielded the hadrosaurids Bactrosaurus and Gilmoreosaurus and the theropods Archaeornithomimus, Avimimus and Alectrosaurus.
The holotype (LH V0001) is a partial skeleton including a lump of braincase, part of the lower jaw, most of the vertebral column, shoulder bones, a wishbone, bones of the upper and lower arm, a partial hip, both thighs and shins, and most of the left foot. A referred specimen (LH V0008) is a series of fused hip vertebrae (sacrum) attached to the upper pelvic bones (ilia).
Preparators
Technicians of the Long Hao Geologic Paleontological Research Center (Department of Land and Resources) at Hohhot.
