Xiangyunloong
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Xiangyunloong Temporal range: Early Jurassic, | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Speculative life reconstruction | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | †Sauropodomorpha |
| Genus: | †Xiangyunloong |
| Species: | †X. fengming |
| Binomial name | |
| †Xiangyunloong fengming Hu et al., 2026 | |
Xiangyunloong (meaning "auspicious cloud dragon") is a genus of massopodan sauropodomorph dinosaur known from fossils found in the Early Jurassic Fengjiahe Formation of Yunnan, China. The type and only species is Xiangyunloong fengming.[1]
The holotype, YDDY 10001–10041, is a partial skeleton including cervical, dorsal and caudal vertebrae, several dorsal rib fragments, chevrons, an incomplete left ilium, and a right ischium. It was discovered in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China.[1]
It was described as a new genus and species of sauropodomorph dinosaur in 2026. The generic name, Xiangyunloong, is a reference to Xiangyun, the county where the holotype was discovered, with a name meaning "auspicious clouds". This is combined with the Chinese "龙" (loong), or Chinese dragon, a symbol of power and auspiciousness. The specific name, fengming, literally means "phoenix calling", and carries several meanings—it is a reference to Luming (literally "deer calling"), the town where the holotype was found, as well as a nod to the dinosaur–bird connection. "Fengming" is also the original name of Lin Fengmian, the founding president of China Academy of Art, whose staff participated extensively in the naming of the species.[1]
