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My Chinese isn't very good... okay, I don't speak it at all... but let me give this one a try. Huayangosaurus. Nailed it, I think. Anyhoo... this is a type of stegosaur that was first discovered in the Sichuan province of China. It's a popular species with our guests... and with crossword puzzle creators.

Huayangosaurus is a genus of huayangosaurid dinosaur that originated from Middle Jurassic Asia. A small species of stegosaur, Huayangosaurus is more easily contained than its relatives, and is one of the first dinosaur species available to the Hammond Foundation on Isla Matanceros.

Characteristics

Resembling a smaller version of Stegosaurus, Huayangosaurus a sturdy medium-sized herbivore, at around 8.5 meters in length, that shares the same distinctive back plates as its more renowned relative. Its name translates to "Huayang Lizard", in reference to the location of its discovery, the previous name of the Sichuan region of China. As well as a small head, Huayangosaurus has the prominent but small armored plates crossing its back until its hips and and then plates again until ending with four spikes on its tail that helps it to defend itself from predators. It also has two large spikes on its shoulders. Unlike Stegosaurus, its back plates were more like spikes. The base genome of Huayangosaurus is a light brown colour with darker brown across its back.

Behaviour

In comparison to other stegosaurians, such as Kentrosaurus and Stegosaurus, Huayangosaurus is a very adaptable animal, comfortable living solitary or in social groups of up to thirteen individuals. Similarly, while they can live alone, they can tolerate living in mixed species enclosures of up to twenty different dinosaurs. To meet their comfort requirements, Huayangosaurus prefer enclosures with 3,648 m² of grassland and 3,090 m² of forest. Like other stegosaurids, they will stand their ground and fight against medium and large carnivores, but can coexist harmoniously with small carnivores such as Velociraptor.

With the addition of the Claire's Sanctuary expansion pack, Huayangosaurus show a paleobotany preference for Mosses, with secondary preferences for Paw Paw and Cycads. However, they will be harmed if they eat Rotten Wood, Horsetails or Palms.

Paleontology

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A pair of Huayangosaurus graze next to a passing Park Tour vehicle.

The oldest stegosaur known so far, Huayangosaurus comes from the Lower Shaximiao formation in the Dashanpu Quarries in the Chinese province of Sichuan. The first Huayangosaurus specimen was discovered in the Dashanpu Quarry in 1979-1980, when a team led by Chinese paleontologist Dong Zhiming unearthed the remains of twelve stegosauridae from a quarry in Zigong, Sichuan. The excavation included one specimen that could not be ascribed to an existing genus – in 1982, it was officially classified as a new genus, Huayangosaurus. The holotype specimen of a partial skeleton, with relatively complete head, was taken from the lower Shaximiao Formation.

Compared to later stegosaur's its skull was broader, indicating it was a generalist feeder and was not selective about what it ate. It also had teeth in the front of its beaked mouth, a trait usually seen in primitive dinosaurs such as Lesothosaurus. It is one of many stegosaurs found at Dashanpu. Other stegosaurs found here, though in younger rocks, include Tuojiangosaurus, Chialingosaurus, Gigantspinosaurus, and Chungkingosaurus, the latter being a direct descendant of Huayangosaurus.

Paleoecology

Huayangosaurus inhabited the south-west of China during the Middle Jurassic period, around 160-170m years ago. This environment featured many rivers and lakes during this period, providing plenty of vegetation for herbivores like Huayangosaurus. There, it lived alongside a many other dinosaurs of the Jurassic period, including the ornithopods Yandusaurus and Agilsaurus, as well as the clubbed sauropod Shunosaurus. Carnivores in the site included the swift moving Gasosaurus and the older species of Yangchuanosaurus, Y. zigongensis, the apex predator of Jurassic China, both of which would have been threats for Huayangosaurus.


Available genomes

Fossil icon Dig site Quality Number available
Stegosaurusfossilicon
Ziliujing Formation
★★
★★★
★★★★
2
6
12
8

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