'Jurassic World' on Earth? New Dinosaur Species Found in China; Has 49-Foot Body
China is known by the world for its mythical dragons. But today, history will know about its dinosaurs.
If a person happens to live in the East Asian country during the Jurassic era, his life might only be worth a sumptuous breakfast. In 2006, construction workers near Qijiang City have stumbled upon a dinosaur's skull and vertebral fossils, the Huffington Post reported.
According to the report, the creature had a 49-foot body, with a neck greater than half of its total length. That could make up for several giraffes.
Reports have emerged as details of its existence were revealed just recently. The paper was published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology on Jan. 26, 2015.
But perhaps, in a fortunate sense, humans in such period wouldn't really have much to worry about. Apparently, the dinosaur is said to be plant-eating, Discovery News wrote. The being is also dubbed to be the "Dragon of Qijiang," suggested to exist about 160 million years from the past.
Formally known as Qijianglong guokr, the dinosaur is categorized as a mamenchisaurid eusauropod from the Late Jurassic. Sci-News took note of Tetsuto Miyashita's remarks, PhD student at the University of Alberta and paper co-author, "It is rare to find a head and neck of a long-necked dinosaur together because the head is so small and easily detached after the animal dies."
Indeed, the creature's neck sparks wonders for its undeniably enormous size. From a distance, its head (presumed to contain organs that put weight) appears to be heavier, but Sci-News noted that the neck is actually filled with air -- which ultimately results to lightweight anatomical structure.
Miyashita went on, "Nowhere else we can find dinosaurs with longer necks than those in China. The new dinosaur tells us that these extreme species thrived in isolation from the rest of the world."
When only its skull, vertebrae and tail had been found, resemblance to dragons from ancient Chinese stories were thought, New York Daily News cited. Nevertheless, missing details such as bones from the extremities were noticed by researchers.
Interestingly, University of Alberta scientist Phillip Currie expressed (via Fox News) that such particular region of the country earthed "lots of dinosaur fossils." These included skeletons, bonebeds and footprints.
The "Dragon of Qijiang," as it turns out, may even be gentle, considering Curie's statement. The researcher also told the outlet, "I suspect that once they were mature, they were probably immune to the attacks of predators the way elephants are today... And as juveniles, there is some evidence to suggest that the adults stayed with and protected them."
At present, the dinosaur's skeleton is within the safeties of a Qijiang museum, Sci-News wrote.
Meanwhile, if you wish to see something Jurassic, catch "Jurassic World" in cinemas on June 12, 2015. See the trailer below.