Kundurosaurus Dinosaur is an extinct genus of giant quadrupedal herbivorous dinosaurs from the Middle Jurassic period that lived in what is now what is now western Russia. It was one of the few large herbivorous dinosaurs that lived in what would become the Russian Far East, along with the Late Jurassic sauropod Mamenchisaurus, and may have been an ancestor of the later sauropod group. The genus Kundurosaurus is known from fragmentary skeletal remains, including some fragmentary cervical and caudal vertebrae, some teeth fragments, one of which may be from a palatal shelf, and an incomplete front limb and tail fragment.
The most complete remains thus far identified were found in the Barakaiya Formation in Tolbachenka-Argera-Kasparsekina area in east Russia. Two partial skeletons of Kundurosaurus were found in western Russia in the Upper Jurassic Yurlovskaya suite. Most of what is known of this genucomes from these two partial skeletons. Kundurosaurus was likely a large herbivorous dinosaur measuring up to 15 meters long, or 51 feet, about the size of its relatives Mamenchisaurus and Jobaria.
Kundurosaurus Facts :
Name: | Kundurosaurus Dinosaurs |
Size: | 15 meters |
Main Facts: | Kundurosaurus is an extinct genus of giant quadrupedal herbivorous dinosaurs from the Middle Jurassic period that lived in what is now what is now western Russia. |
It is classified as a basal sauropod, which means it was a primitive member of the sauropod lineage, belonging to a clade distinct from the later and more typical diplodocoids. The most distinctive feature of Kundurosaurus is its large sacral vertebra, or vertebral body that connects the tail to the torso. This vertebra appears to have had a broad transverse process, or extension coming out of its sides, a feature that is usually associated with advanced sauropods.
This suggests that Kundurosaurus was an advanced and derived sauropod. Kundurosaurus also has some other unique features that distinguish it from other sauropods. For example, its front limb bones are larger than the corresponding bones in later sauropods, indicating it had a more powerful build and limb structure. Its teeth were also more robust than in other sauropods, suggesting it was likely a heavy browser with a wider food range than the later sauropods. Overall, Kundurosaurus is an interesting and enigmatic species that has helped paleontologists better understand the evolution of sauropod dinosaurs.