马门溪龙属(Mamenchisaurus)的分类位置及演化

CLASSIFICATION AND EVOLUTION OF Mamenchisaurus

文章对马门溪龙属（Ｍａｍｅｎｃｈｉｓａｕｒｕｓ）的分类位置进行了讨论，认为它应归属于勺齿蜥龙超科（Ｂｏｔｈｒｏｓａｕｒｏｐｏｄｏｉｄｅａ）中的马门溪龙科（Ｍａｍｅｎｃｈｉｓａｕｒｉｄａｅ），从而对蜥脚类科一级的分类提出了新的划分方案。文章还对马门溪龙属的演化进行了探讨，提出其祖先应为中侏罗世的峨眉龙属（Ｏｍｅｉｓａｕｒｕｓ）。

Mamenchisaurus (Young,1954), composed of seven species, is the most representative dinosaur in the Late Jurassic of China. It is the biggest individual among dinosaurs of that time in China, and has the longest neck, the most species, and the widest geographical distribution. Mamenchisaurus undoubtedly belongs to Bothrosauropodoidea with a high skull and spatulate teeth. Mamenchisaurus developed in Sichuan Basin in the early part of the Late Jurassic. Its geographical distribution is restricted to East Asia, and it is the sauropod with the most endemic features in the Late Jurassic of East Asia. Its ancestor appears to be the main genus of dinosaur in the Middle Jurassic — Omeisaurus (Young, 1939).