Pronunciation:
Meaning: Tongnan dragon
Author/s: Wei et al. (2025)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Chongqing, China
Discovery Chart Position: #1174
Tongnanlong zhimingi
Zhiming's Tongnan DragonEtymology
Tongnanlong is derived from the Chinese Pinyin "Tongnan" (for Tongnan District, where the holotype was found, and "long" (dragon). The species epithet, zhimingi, honours world-famous Chinese scientist Dong Zhiming for his great contributions to the dinosaur research in the Sichuan Basin.
Zoobank registry: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:25ED5383-9D83-4633-93F2-9F9727B14BDA.
Discovery
The remains of Tongnanlong were discovered in the Suining Formation at a building site on Dafo Street, Tongnan District, Chongqing Municipality, Sichuan Basin, China,
in 1998.
The holotype (TNM 0254) is a partial skeleton, including three back and six tail vertebrae, a left shoulder girdle, a partial shin and calf, three metatarsals, and two claws. Based on the size of the shoulder bones, Tongnanlong is an extremely gigantic individual with a body length approaching 26 metres.
