Species
Shunosaurus lii
Shunosaurus liiShunosaurus stood out among sauropods for its relatively short neck, compact skull, and robust tail ending in a bony club bearing paired spines. Herds browsed the lush conifer, cycad, and ginkgo forests of Middle to Late Jurassic river basins, using their heavy tails to deter predatory theropods. Dozens of exceptionally preserved skeletons discovered in Sichuan suggest these animals traveled in structured social groups across floodplain ecosystems.
SauropodFossil
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyConifer foliage, Cycad fronds, Ginkgo leaves
Predators
- Yangchuanosaurus shangyouensis
- Sinraptor hepingensis
- Gasosaurus constructus
ThreatsTheropod predation; Late Jurassic environmental shifts
HabitatsJurassic river valleys, floodplain forests, lake margins
Life span40–60 years
Classification
- FamilyCetiosauridae
- SpeciesShunosaurus lii
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Extinct species known only from fossils; safe to observe in museum collections.
Responsible observation
- Museum Viewing: Visit the Zigong Dinosaur Museum in Sichuan to see mounted, complete skeletons.
- Fossil Identification: Look for the distinctive bulbous tail club and robust spoon-shaped teeth.
Predator Laikayiu / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Competitor Zhangzhugang / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Competitor Finblanco / Public domain · cc0
Neighbor giloun Original uploader was Giloun at en.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?
Checking your Fauna account…Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.