Zhuchengtitan is a type of dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, around 73.5 million years ago. This dinosaur was discovered in Shandong, China, and it’s classified as a member of a group called titanosaurian sauropods.
The scientific name for this dinosaur is Zhuchengtitan zangjiazhuangensis, which was given by researchers in 2017. The name “Zhuchengtitan” combines “Zhucheng,” where it was found, with the Greek word for titan, which refers to its large size. The specific name refers to the site where the fossils were discovered.
Zhuchengtitan is mainly known from a single upper arm bone called a humerus. The humerus is quite large, measuring about 108 centimeters long and 59.3 centimeters wide at the top. One of the unique features of this dinosaur is the wide top end of its humerus, which sets it apart from other titanosaurs.
It is thought to be closely related to another dinosaur called Opisthocoelicaudia, but it has some differences, especially in the shape of its humerus. This dinosaur lived in a floodplain area alongside other dinosaurs, such as Shantungosaurus and Zhuchengtyrannus.
The discovery of Zhuchengtitan adds to our understanding of dinosaurs that lived in ancient China, and it helps scientists learn about the variety of life that existed during the Cretaceous period. The fossils were found in a specific area with diverse rock types that suggest it used to be a rich environment for many different species.
This dinosaur contributes to our knowledge of how sauropods evolved and lived in the past, and it shows the impressive diversity of dinosaurs that once roamed the Earth.