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Mamenchisauridae Temporal range: 184.5–114 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Possible Albian record
Mamenchisaurus
Skeleton of Mamenchisaurus hochuanensis
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Dinosauria
Clade:	Saurischia
Clade:	†Sauropodomorpha
Clade:	†Sauropoda
Clade:	†Eusauropoda
Family:	†Mamenchisauridae Young and Zhao, 1972
Genera
†Analong †Anhuilong †Bellusaurus? †Chuanjiesaurus †Daanosaurus? †Datousaurus? †Eomamenchisaurus †Huangshanlong †Hudiesaurus †Jingiella †Klamelisaurus †Mamenchisaurus †Omeisaurus †Qijianglong †Rhoetosaurus? †Rhomaleopakhus †Spinophorosaurus? †Tienshanosaurus †Tonganosaurus †Wamweracaudia †Xinjiangtitan †Yuanmousaurus †Zigongosaurus
Synonyms
Omeisauridae Wilson, 2002

Mamenchisauridae is a family of sauropod dinosaurs belonging to Eusauropoda known from the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous of Asia and Africa. Some members of the group reached gigantic sizes, amongst the largest of all sauropods.

Classification

The family Mamenchisauridae was first erected by Chinese paleontologists Yang Zhongjian ("C.C. Young") and Zhao Xijin in 1972, in a paper describing Mamenchisaurus hochuanensis.

The most complete cladogram of Mamenchisauridae is presented by Moore et al., 2020, which includes several named species. Notably, some iterations of their analysis recover Euhelopus and kin, usually considered somphospondylians, as relatives of mamenchisaurids, mirroring earlier conceptions about the family.

Topology A: Implied-weights analysis, Gonzàlez Riga dataset

Topology B: Time-calibrated Bayesian analysis, Gonzàlez Riga dataset

In addition to several taxa above, a paper by Ren et al. (2022) also includes Rhoetosaurus, Spinophorosaurus, and Yuanmousaurus within the family.

A 2023 study also includes Hudiesaurus, Xinjiangtitan, Rhomaleopakhus, and the juvenile Bellusaurus and Daanosaurus within the family.

Paleobiology

Long-bone histology enables researchers to estimate the age that a specific individual reached. A study by Griebeler et al. (2013) examined long bone histological data and concluded that the unnamed mamenchisaurid SGP 2006/9 weighed 25,075 kilograms (27.6 short tons), reached sexual maturity at 20 years and died at age 31.

Paleoecology

Fossils of Mamenchisaurus and Omeisaurus have been found in the Shaximiao Formation, dating to the Oxfordian-Tithonian interval, around 159-150 Ma (million years ago). Chuanjiesaurus fossils date between 166.1 and 163.5 Ma, while those of Eomamenchisaurus were found in the Zhanghe Formation, believed to be around 175.6-161.2 million years old. Fossils of Tonganosaurus date to even earlier, from the (Pliensbachian) Early Jurassic. The Tendaguru Formation taxon Wamweracaudia from Tanzania extends the geographic distribution of Mamenchisauridae into Africa, while fossil remains from the Itat Formation in Russia suggest they also reached Siberia. Additionally, an indeterminate cervical vertebra from the Phu Kradung Formation of Thailand demonstrates survival of Mamenchisauridae into the Cretaceous combined with new radiometric dates for the Suining Formation that has yielded fossils of Mamenchisaurus anyuensis.

References

1. Ren, X.-X.; Wang, X.-R.; Ji, Y.-N.; Guo, Z.; Ji, Q. (2024). "The first mamenchisaurid from the Upper Jurassic Dongxing Formation of Guangxi, southernmost China". Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology. doi:10.1080/08912963.2024.2309287.
2. Sander PM (2013-10-30). "An evolutionary cascade model for sauropod dinosaur gigantism--overview, update and tests". PLOS ONE. 8 (10): e78573. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...878573S. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0078573. PMC 3812984. PMID 24205267.
3. Young, C.C. and Zhao, X. (1972). "Mamenchisaurus hochuanensis sp. nov.". Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology Monographs Series A 8: 1-30.
4. ^ Moore, A.J.; Upchurch, P.; Barrett, P.M.; Clark, J.M.; Xing, X. (2020). "Osteology of Klamelisaurus gobiensis (Dinosauria, Eusauropoda) and the evolutionary history of Middle–Late Jurassic Chinese sauropods". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 18 (16): 1299–1393. doi:10.1080/14772019.2020.1759706. S2CID 219749618.
5. Ren XX, Jiang S, Wang XR, Peng GZ, Ye Y, Jia L, You HL (2022). "Re-examination of Dashanpusaurus dongi (Sauropoda: Macronaria) supports an early Middle Jurassic global distribution of neosauropod dinosaurs". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 610. 111318. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2022.111318.
6. Moore, Andrew J.; Barrett, Paul M.; Upchurch, Paul; Liao, Chun-Chi; Ye, Yong; Hao, Baoqiao; Xu (2023). "Re-assessment of the Late Jurassic eusauropod Mamenchisaurus sinocanadorum Russell and Zheng, 1993, and the evolution of exceptionally long necks in mamenchisaurids". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 21 (1). doi:10.1080/14772019.2023.2171818.
7. Griebeler EM, Klein N, Sander PM (2013) Aging, Maturation and Growth of Sauropodomorph Dinosaurs as Deduced from Growth Curves Using Long Bone Histological Data: An Assessment of Methodological Constraints and Solutions. PLoS ONE 8(6): e67012. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0067012
8. Junchang L, Tianguang L, Shimin Z, Qiang J, Shaoxue L (February 2008). "A new mamenchisaurid dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic of Yuanmou, Yunnan Province, China". Acta Geologica Sinica - English Edition. 82 (1): 17–26. doi:10.1111/j.1755-6724.2008.tb00320.x. S2CID 128454888.
9. Li K, Yang CY, Liu J, Wang ZX (2010). "A new auropod dinosaur from the Lower Jyrassic of Huili, Sichuan, China". Vertebrata PalAsiatica. 3.
10. Mannion PD, Upchurch P, Schwarz D, Wings O (February 2019). "Taxonomic affinities of the putative titanosaurs from the Late Jurassic Tendaguru Formation of Tanzania: phylogenetic and biogeographic implications for eusauropod dinosaur evolution". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 185 (m 3): 784–909. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zly068. hdl:10044/1/64080.
11. Averianov A, Krasnolutskii S, Ivantsov S, Skutschas P, Schellhorn R, Schultz J, Martin T (2019). "Sauropod remains from the Middle Jurassic Itat Formation of West Siberia, Russia". PalZ. 93 (4): 691–701. doi:10.1007/s12542-018-00445-8. S2CID 135205021.
12. Wang J, Norell MA, Pei R, Ye Y, Chang SC (December 2019). "Surprisingly young age for the mamenchisaurid sauropods in South China". Cretaceous Research. 104: 104176. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2019.07.006. S2CID 199099072.
13. Suteethorn S, Le Loeuff J, Buffetaut E, Suteethorn V, Wongko K (February 2012). "First evidence of a mamenchisaurid dinosaur from the Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous Phu Kradung Formation of Thailand". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 58 (3): 459–469. doi:10.4202/app.2009.0155. S2CID 54927702.

Sources

• Currie PJ, Padian K. Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs. p. 122.

v t e Sauropodomorpha
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Clade: Avemetatarsalia Clade: Dinosauria Avemetatarsalia see Avemetatarsalia Sauropodomorpha see below↓
Sauropodomorpha Sauropodomorpha Buriolestes Eoraptor Gigantoscelus Guaibasaurus Mbiresaurus Pampadromaeus Panphagia Saturnaliidae Buriolestes? Eoraptor? Chromogisaurus Nhandumirim Pampadromaeus? Panphagia? Saturnalia Bagualosauria Arcusaurus Asylosaurus Bagualosaurus Efraasia Nambalia Pantydraco Thecodontosaurus Unaysauridae Jaklapallisaurus Macrocollum Unaysaurus Plateosauria Plateosauravus Ruehleia Xixiposaurus Plateosauridae Euskelosaurus Gresslyosaurus Issi Pachysauriscus Plateosaurus Yimenosaurus Massopoda Gryponyx Gyposaurus Ignavusaurus Kholumolumo Musankwa Sarahsaurus Tuebingosaurus Riojasauridae Eucnemesaurus Riojasaurus Massospondylidae Adeopapposaurus Coloradisaurus Glacialisaurus Ignavusaurus? Leyesaurus Lufengosaurus Massospondylus Ngwevu Pradhania Sarahsaurus Xingxiulong? Sauropodiformes Chuxiongosaurus? Jingshanosaurus Lishulong Qianlong Seitaad Xingxiulong? Yizhousaurus Yunnanosaurus Anchisauria Aardonyx Anchisaurus Camelotia Irisosaurus Lamplughsaura Leonerasaurus Melanorosaurus Meroktenos Mussaurus Pulanesaura Sefapanosaurus Sauropoda see below↓
Sauropoda Sauropoda Amygdalodon Blikanasaurus Chinshakiangosaurus Gongxianosaurus Isanosaurus Leonerasaurus? Pulanesaura? Protognathosaurus Schleitheimia Tuebingosaurus? Lessemsauridae Antetonitrus Ingentia Ledumahadi Lessemsaurus Gravisauria Archaeodontosaurus? Kotasaurus Ohmdenosaurus Rhoetosaurus Sanpasaurus? Zizhongosaurus? Vulcanodontidae Tazoudasaurus Vulcanodon Eusauropoda Algoasaurus Asiatosaurus Bagualia Barapasaurus Bellusaurus Cetiosauriscus Dashanpusaurus Dystrophaeus Janenschia Jobaria Nebulasaurus Perijasaurus Shunosaurus Spinophorosaurus Tehuelchesaurus Volkheimeria Cetiosauridae Cetiosaurus Chebsaurus Ferganasaurus? Lapparentosaurus? Patagosaurus? Mamenchisauridae Analong Anhuilong Cetiosauriscus? Chuanjiesaurus Datousaurus? Eomamenchisaurus Huangshanlong Hudiesaurus Jingiella Klamelisaurus? Mamenchisaurus Omeisaurus Qijianglong Rhomaleopakhus Tienshanosaurus Tonganosaurus Wamweracaudia Xinjiangtitan Yuanmousaurus Zigongosaurus Turiasauria Amanzia Bellusaurus? Haestasaurus? Janenschia? Losillasaurus Mierasaurus Moabosaurus Narindasaurus Oplosaurus? Tehuelchesaurus? Tendaguria Turiasaurus Zby Neosauropoda Diplodocoidea (see below ↓ ) Macronaria (see below ↓ ) Dubious sauropods Bothriospondylus Cardiodon Dinodocus Gigantosaurus Neosodon Qinlingosaurus Ultrasaurus
Diplodocoidea Diplodocoidea Haplocanthosaurus Diplodocimorpha Rebbachisauridae Agustinia Amazonsaurus Campananeyen Comahuesaurus Dzharatitanis? Histriasaurus Lavocatisaurus Maraapunisaurus? Nopcsaspondylus Sidersaura Xenoposeidon Zapalasaurus Khebbashia Limaysaurinae Cathartesaura Limaysaurus Rayososaurus? Rebbachisaurinae Demandasaurus Itapeuasaurus Katepensaurus Nigersaurus Rebbachisaurus Tataouinea Flagellicaudata Dicraeosauridae Amargasaurus Amargatitanis Bajadasaurus Brachytrachelopan Dicraeosaurus Dyslocosaurus? Kaatedocus Lingwulong Pilmatueia Smitanosaurus Suuwassea Tharosaurus Diplodocidae Apatosaurinae Amphicoelias? Apatosaurus Atlantosaurus? Brontosaurus Diplodocinae Ardetosaurus Barosaurus Dinheirosaurus Diplodocus Galeamopus Kaatedocus? Leinkupal Supersaurus Tornieria
Macronaria Macronaria Abrosaurus Aragosaurus Bashunosaurus? Daanosaurus Dashanpusaurus? Europasaurus Haestasaurus? Yuzhoulong Camarasauridae Camarasaurus Lourinhasaurus Titanosauriformes Astrodon Duriatitan Eucamerotus Fushanosaurus Fusuisaurus Ornithopsis Pelorosaurus Rugocaudia? Brachiosauridae Abydosaurus Atlasaurus Brachiosaurus Cedarosaurus Galvesaurus? Giraffatitan Lusotitan Sonorasaurus Soriatitan Venenosaurus Vouivria Somphospondyli Angolatitan Arkharavia Astrophocaudia Austrosaurus Brohisaurus Brontomerus Chubutisaurus Dongbeititan Europatitan Fukuititan Garumbatitan Jiangxititan? Jiutaisaurus Liaoningotitan Ligabuesaurus? Liubangosaurus Oceanotitan Padillasaurus Pukyongosaurus Ruixinia Sauroposeidon Sibirotitan Tastavinsaurus Triunfosaurus Euhelopodidae Australodocus? Chiayusaurus? Erketu Euhelopus Gannansaurus Gobititan Huabeisaurus Huanghetitan Jiangshanosaurus? Phuwiangosaurus Qiaowanlong Silutitan Tambatitanis Tangvayosaurus Yongjinglong Yunmenglong Diamantinasauria Australotitan Diamantinasaurus Sarmientosaurus Savannasaurus Wintonotitan? Titanosauria see below↓
Titanosauria Titanosauria Abdarainurus Aegyptosaurus? Andesaurus Angolatitan? Arackar Argyrosaurus Atacamatitan Austroposeidon Baotianmansaurus Barrosasaurus Baurutitan? Bonatitan? Borealosaurus Brasilotitan Choconsaurus Daxiatitan Dongyangosaurus Dreadnoughtus? Elaltitan Epachthosaurus? Gandititan Hamititan Huabeisaurus Jiangshanosaurus? Kaijutitan Karongasaurus Laplatasaurus Ligabuesaurus? Magyarosaurus Malarguesaurus? Malawisaurus Mnyamawamtuka Narambuenatitan Ninjatitan Normanniasaurus Nullotitan Pellegrinisaurus? Petrobrasaurus Pitekunsaurus Rapetosaurus Rukwatitan Ruyangosaurus Tastavinsaurus? Tengrisaurus? Tiamat Traukutitan Trigonosaurus Sonidosaurus Uberabatitan Volgatitan Xianshanosaurus Diamantinasauria? Lirainosaurinae Ampelosaurus Atsinganosaurus Garrigatitan Lirainosaurus Lohuecotitan Mansourasaurus Paludititan Eutitanosauria Inawentu Menucocelsior Colossosauria Antarctosaurus Baalsaurus Bonitasaura Chucarosaurus Epachthosaurus? Jainosaurus Quetecsaurus Tengrisaurus? Vahiny Rinconsauria Adamantisaurus Maxakalisaurus? Muyelensaurus Overosaurus Panamericansaurus Rinconsaurus Aeolosaurini Aeolosaurus Arrudatitan Bravasaurus Caieiria Gondwanatitan Punatitan Shingopana Lognkosauria Argentinosaurus Drusilasaura Dzharatitanis? Futalognkosaurus Jiangxititan? Mendozasaurus Notocolossus Patagotitan Puertasaurus Saltasauroidea Bustingorrytitan Titanomachya Udelartitan Nemegtosauridae Nemegtosaurus Quaesitosaurus? Tapuiasaurus? Saltasauridae Igai Isisaurus? Qingxiusaurus Quaesitosaurus? Opisthocoelicaudiinae Abditosaurus? Alamosaurus Baurutitan? Dreadnoughtus? Opisthocoelicaudia Pellegrinisaurus? Qunkasaura Zhuchengtitan? Saltasaurinae Abditosaurus? Bonatitan? Ibirania Maxakalisaurus? Neuquensaurus Paralititan Rocasaurus Saltasaurus Yamanasaurus Dubious titanosaurs Bruhathkayosaurus? Campylodoniscus Clasmodosaurus Hypselosaurus Iuticosaurus Loricosaurus Macrurosaurus? Microcoelus Mongolosaurus? Titanosaurus
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