**Tongtianlong: A Dino Discovery**
Tongtianlong is a type of dinosaur that lived about 66.7 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period. It belongs to a group called oviraptorids, which are known for being bird-like and feathery. The name “Tongtianlong” means “Tongtianyan dragon” in Chinese.
**What Did Tongtianlong Look Like?**
Imagine a sheep-sized dinosaur. That’s how big Tongtianlong was! This dinosaur had unique features that made it stand out.
One interesting fact is that the bump on its head looked like a dome and was positioned just behind its eye. Unlike other dinosaurs in its family, Tongtianlong did not have teeth. Instead, it had a rounded front edge on its beak-like mouth.
There were some other cool characteristics too:
– The shape of the bones in its skull had distinct ridges and flatter areas.
– The hole at the back of its skull was smaller than the joint connecting the skull to its neck.
– Its nostrils were placed higher up compared to other similar dinosaurs.
**How Was Tongtianlong Discovered?**
The first Tongtianlong fossil was found near Ganxian District in Jiangxi Province, China while building a new high school. The fossil was nicely preserved but had some damage from construction blasting. It is currently housed in the Dongyang Museum.
Interestingly, the way this dinosaur was found made it look like it had its head raised and arms spread out, suggesting that it might have been struggling in mud when it died.
The name “Tongtianlong” references the nearby Tongtianyan grotto, and “limosus,” the species name, refers to the muddy conditions in which the fossil was preserved.
**When and How Did It Live?**
Tongtianlong is the sixth type of oviraptorid discovered in the Nanxiong Formation, which is known for its variety of dinosaur fossils. Scientists think that these different dinosaurs might have existed at the same time and represent various species rather than just different growth stages of the same creature.
The discovery of Tongtianlong and similar dinosaurs in this area shows that there was a bloom of dinosaur diversity right before a major extinction event. However, more research is still needed to fully understand the timeline of these dinosaurs in the Nanxiong Formation.
In summary, Tongtianlong adds to our knowledge of the amazing and diverse world of dinosaurs!