四川盆地蜥脚类恐龙化石

THE SAUROPOD FOSSILS IN SICHUAN BASIN

四川盆地恐龙化石的发掘和研究已有一百余年的历史,发现的恐龙化石共有35个属50个种,其中蜥脚类恐龙化石15属27种,包括在国内外都享有盛名的马门溪龙、峨眉龙、蜀龙、通安龙、珙县龙等,它们对于蜥脚类恐龙的分类、演化研究都具有非常重要的科学价值:蜥脚类尾锤的发现对蜥脚类防卫能力研究提供了重要化石证据;杨氏马门溪龙皮肤印模化石的发现使我们对蜥脚类表皮结构有了新的认识;大量马门溪龙科恐龙化石的发现使我们基本理清了四川盆地长颈型蜥脚类的演化方向。

Sichuan Basin,which usually called'Red Basin'is situated in southwest China. It is a region that the Mesozoic continental sediments are well developed in which contains rich fossils vertebrates,especially the Jurassic fossil dinosaurs. Since the first dinosaur fossil discovered from Sichuan Basin,more than 100 years have passed and more than 300 localities of dinosaur fossils which distribute in more than 50 cities or counties have been found. Up to now,35 genera and 50 species have been identified,in which 15 genera and 27 species are included to sauropod,such as Mamenchisaurus,Omeisaurus,Shunosaurus,Tonganosaurus and Gongxiansaurus.The sauropod fossils from Sichuan Basin are rich and well preserved. Their geological time is from the Early Jurassic to the Late Jurassic. So they have very important academic values in studying the origin,evolution,distribution and etc of sauropod in China even in the world. The discovery of the bony tail club of sauropod provided an evidence that the sauropods usually equipped with strong weapons for defending their enemies. The skin impression of M. youngi from the Late Jurassic of Zigong was the first sample of sauropod skin impression found in China and one of few samples of sauropod skin impressions in the world. It shows that the bodies of sauropods covered with small,polygonal scales rather than smooth surface. A large number of fossils of Mamenchisauridae were found that made us understand the evolution direction of long neck sauropod in Sichuan Basin clearly.