Yantaloong, new turiasaurian sauropod from Middle Jurassic of China
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Ben Creisler
Feb 3, 2026, 1:34:14 PM (9 days ago) Feb 3
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Ben Creisler
A new paper:
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Yantaloong lini gen. et sp. nov.
Xiao-Qin Zhang, Ya-Ming Wang, Zhen-Ji Wang, Yan-Chao Wang, Tao Wang, Guo-Fu Wang, Yi Zou, Qi-Xing Dong, Xing Su, Hua Jiang, Yan-Jun Wang & Hai-Lu You (2026)
The first turiasaurian sauropod (Dinosauria: Eusauropoda) from East Asia
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 206(2): zlaf201
doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf201
https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article-abstract/206/2/zlaf201/8456546
The Middle Jurassic of China hosts a diverse dinosaur fauna dominated by mamenchisaurid sauropods, along with some early diverging eusauropod and neosauropod members. However, no transitional taxa have been confirmed in East Asia along the evolutionary path from mamenchisaurids to neosauropods. Here, we describe a new sauropod represented by six presacral vertebrae, Yantaloong lini gen. et sp. nov., recovered from the Middle Jurassic Zhanghe Formation of Yunnan Province, China. Most of our phylogenetic analyses recover Yantaloong within a non-traditional Turiasauria clade (including Lapparentosaurus, Jobaria, and Atlasaurus). Alternatively, some of our analyses also suggest that Yantaloong could be a non-neosauropod eusauropod outside the traditional Turiasauria or as a member of Neosauropoda, although these conditions are less favoured. Yantaloong shows a unique mixture of derived characters typically seen in derived dicraeosaurinaes and even in titanosaurs, along with plesiomorphic traits characteristic of basal eusauropods. Yantaloong provides a better understanding of the vertebral morphological diversity in sauropods, such as the pneumatization and the hyposphene–hypantrum complex, which further supports its phylogenetic position as a form transitional towards Neosauropoda. Yantaloong probably represents the first discovery of a turiasaurian sauropod in China and even in East Asia.
Yantaloong lini gen. et sp. nov.
Xiao-Qin Zhang, Ya-Ming Wang, Zhen-Ji Wang, Yan-Chao Wang, Tao Wang, Guo-Fu Wang, Yi Zou, Qi-Xing Dong, Xing Su, Hua Jiang, Yan-Jun Wang & Hai-Lu You (2026)
The first turiasaurian sauropod (Dinosauria: Eusauropoda) from East Asia
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 206(2): zlaf201
doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf201
https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article-abstract/206/2/zlaf201/8456546
The Middle Jurassic of China hosts a diverse dinosaur fauna dominated by mamenchisaurid sauropods, along with some early diverging eusauropod and neosauropod members. However, no transitional taxa have been confirmed in East Asia along the evolutionary path from mamenchisaurids to neosauropods. Here, we describe a new sauropod represented by six presacral vertebrae, Yantaloong lini gen. et sp. nov., recovered from the Middle Jurassic Zhanghe Formation of Yunnan Province, China. Most of our phylogenetic analyses recover Yantaloong within a non-traditional Turiasauria clade (including Lapparentosaurus, Jobaria, and Atlasaurus). Alternatively, some of our analyses also suggest that Yantaloong could be a non-neosauropod eusauropod outside the traditional Turiasauria or as a member of Neosauropoda, although these conditions are less favoured. Yantaloong shows a unique mixture of derived characters typically seen in derived dicraeosaurinaes and even in titanosaurs, along with plesiomorphic traits characteristic of basal eusauropods. Yantaloong provides a better understanding of the vertebral morphological diversity in sauropods, such as the pneumatization and the hyposphene–hypantrum complex, which further supports its phylogenetic position as a form transitional towards Neosauropoda. Yantaloong probably represents the first discovery of a turiasaurian sauropod in China and even in East Asia.
Mike Taylor
Feb 3, 2026, 1:37:37 PM (9 days ago) Feb 3
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Shame they used "loong" for Dragon, rather than the more usual "long".
-- Mike.
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Leo Sham
Feb 3, 2026, 10:36:24 PM (8 days ago) Feb 3
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"Loong" is the new official phonetic translation for Dragon (sensu stricto), so I heard a few years back. "Long" is still used in everyday talks.
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