Tugulusaurus is a type of dinosaur that lived a long time ago, during the Early Cretaceous period, specifically in the Barremian to Albian stages. Its name means “Tugulu lizard,” and it belongs to a group of dinosaurs called theropods, which are known for being mostly bipedal (walking on two legs).
Discovery
Fossils of Tugulusaurus were first found in the Junggar Basin of Xinjiang, China, starting in 1964. In 1973, a paleontologist named Dong Zhiming studied these fossils and named this small dinosaur Tugulusaurus faciles. The name Tugulusaurus comes from the Tugulu Group where the fossils were discovered, while “faciles” means easy-moving in Latin, suggesting this dinosaur was quite agile.
The main fossil, known as the holotype, is made up of part of its skeleton, including some tail bones, parts of its legs, fingers, and a rib. The femur, which is a thigh bone, is about 21.5 centimeters long. This skeleton is the only evidence we have of this species.
Description
Tugulusaurus was estimated to be between 1.9 to 3 meters long, which is about the size of a small car. It likely had a long neck and tail, a streamlined head with a beak-like nose, and large claws. This dinosaur was probably very quick on its feet, which would help it catch prey and escape from dangers. Its long claws might have been used to dig into wood or dirt to find food.
Classification
When Tugulusaurus was first discovered, it was thought to belong to a group called Ornithomimidae. Over time, there was some debate about its classification, with some experts suggesting it was a “nomen dubium,” which means its identity was uncertain. However, later studies showed that Tugulusaurus is actually a valid type of early theropod dinosaur within a group called Alvarezsauria. This classification helps paleontologists understand the relationships between different dinosaur species better.