河南汝阳地区一巨型蜥脚类恐龙股骨化石的发现及其地层学意义

Discovery of a gigantic sauropod femur in Ruyang,Henan,China,and its stratigraphic significance

报道了首次在河南省汝阳县发现的大型蜥脚类恐龙股骨化石。从股骨近端的大小来判断,该股骨的实际长度可能超过2m,应属于巨型蜥脚类恐龙的股骨无疑。虽然化石破碎,种属的归属存在一定的困难,但是它的发现无论从晰脚类恐龙的分布、演化还是从地层学上都具有重要意义。该恐龙股骨化石的发现,将该地区原认为属于古近系蟒川组的时代向前推至早白垩世晚期或晚白垩世早期,同时其下伏地层陈宅沟组也应划归白垩纪时期的沉积。

An incomplete gigantic sauropod femur was found in Ruyang, Henan. Judged by the size of its proximal end, the real length of the femur is probably more than 2m; so it definitely belongs to a gigantic sauropod dinosaur. Although the femur is only preserved as a proximal portion and it is difficult to assign it to a certain generic or species level, its discovery plays an important role in the stratigraphy. Due to the discovery of the sauropod femur, the Mangchuan Formation which was previously considered as belonging to the Paleocene is attributed to the late Early Cretaceous or early Late Cretaceous and its underlying strata-Chenzhaigou Formation- should be also assigned to Cretaceous deposits.