Two new species of giant dinosaurs have been found in China

A team of Chinese-Brazilian researchers discovered Three fossils dinosaurs Giant vertebrates in China, two of them New species belonging to the early Cretaceous period.

The fossils were located in Xinjiang, northwest China They belong to the family Somphospondylim, which is a group of sauropods They were large, herbivorous dinosaurs, of lineage Titanosauriformes.

the The first specimen was identified as a new species From euhelopods, It was called Silotetan sinensis Through some characteristics of the cervical vertebrae. It is estimated that it is more than 20 meters long.

Among the remnants of the translated Silotetan sinensis An articulated series of cervical vertebrae is found from the middle to the posterior part.

while The second dinosaur was named Hamititan xinjiangensis; It is considered new types of Titanium, which may have had a body length of 17 metres.

The remains of the second dinosaur found in China consist of an incomplete articulated sequence that can be assigned to Titanosaurus Letostrotianus, due to its caudal vertebrae with a concave lateral surface, in addition to its distinctive edges.

According to experts, This is the first time that sauropods have been reported from the early Cretaceous period and they are also the first vertebrate dinosaurs found in the Hami region of Xinjiang Province.

As for the third sample, of which only a small tooth was found next to the remains of the eyelid Hamititan xinjiangensis, experts point out It is located around a theropod, a species of dinosaur already known from the family Euhelopus, that inhabited the Earth from the early Jurassic to the late Cretaceous period.

The researchers noted that it is not known whether this theropod could feed on the carcasses of sauropods, so both species offer a new perspective on the ecological diversity of that region.

In addition, next to the remains Silotetan sinensis An incomplete lower jaw of a pterosaur was also found, Hamipterus tianshanensisAnd A species of dinosaur previously found in the Hami region.

The results were published in the specialized journal Scientific Reports, increase the diversity of animals and information about Chinese sauropods, especially in an area where these vertebrates are not common.