Datousaurus bashanensis

†Datousaurus bashanensis is the type and only species of Datousaurus, from the Jurassic Dashanpu Formation of Sichuan. Estimated at ~14 m in length, this sauropod's uniquely large skull differentiates it from contemporaneous Chinese sauropods such as Shunosaurus. Its anatomy suggests it fed on lower-growing vegetation on the floodplains of ancient Sichuan.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivore

Datousaurus bashanensis was a plant-eating dinosaur. Herbivores typically fed on ferns, cycads, conifers, and other vegetation available during their era. Many herbivorous dinosaurs developed specialized teeth and digestive systems for processing tough plant material.

Time Period

Jurassic Middle Mesozoic Era

Datousaurus bashanensis lived during the Jurassic Middle period of the Mesozoic Era, approximately 174.7 to 161.5 million years ago.

Dinosaur diversity continued to increase, with the evolution of large sauropods and diverse theropods. Stegosaurs first appeared, and the supercontinent Pangaea was breaking apart.