Pronunciation: TWAW-YAHNG-o-SOR-us
Meaning: Tuo River lizard
Author/s: Dong, Li, Zhou and Zhang (1973)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Sichuan, China
Discovery Chart Position: #235
Tuojiangosaurus multispinus
(Many-Spined Tuo River Lizard)Etymology
Tuojiangosaurus is derived from the Chinese "tuo" (bay) and "Jiang" (river), and the Greek "sauros" (lizard). The Tuo Jiang is one of the main tributaries of the Yangzte River (Cháng JiÄng)—the longest river in Asia and the third longest in the world, flowing for 6,418 kilometres from the glaciers of the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai to the East China Sea at Shanghai.The species epithet, multispinus, refers to the paired bony plates on its back.
Discovery
The first fossils of Tuojiangosaurus were discovered in the Upper Shaximiao (Shangshaximiao) Formation at Wujiabai, Zigong City, Sichuan Province, Southwest China, during construction of the Wujiaba dam in 1974. The holotype (CV 209) is a partial skull and virtually complete skeleton.
