China

Tongnanlong is a large mamenchisaurid sauropod dinosaur that lived in the Late Jurassic period of what is now China. Typical of mamenchisaurids, it had an extremely long neck, even by sauropod standards. Tongnanlong grew to approximately 25 m in length and weighed 20-30 t, making it one of the largest mamenchisaurids.

Life restoration of the large, Middle Triassic Nevadan ichthyosaur Cymbopsondylus petrinus. This illustration is primarily based on specimen UCMP 9950, with much of the tail restored following UCMP 9947. The size of the eye was reconstructed based on UCMP 9954 and UCMP 9913. The unknown distal portions of the flippers, as well as some of the tail, was reconstructed after the related genus Xinminosaurus. References Merriam, J. C. (1908) Triassic Ichthyosauria: With special reference to the American forms, Berkley, California: Berkley: The University Press Klein, N.; Schmitz, L.; Wintrich, T.; Sander, P. M. (2020). "A new cymbospondylid ichthyosaur (Ichthyosauria) from the Middle Triassic (Anisian) of the Augusta Mountains, Nevada, USA". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 18 (14): 1167-1191. DOI:10.1080/14772019.2020.1748132. Jiang, D.; Motani, R.; Hao, W.; Schmitz, L.; Rieppel, O.; Sun, Y.; Sun, Z. (2008). "New primitive ichthyosaurian (Reptilia, Diapsida) from the Middle Triassic of Panxian, Guizhou, southwestern China and its position in the Triassic biotic recovery". Progress in Natural Science 18 (10): 1315. DOI:10.1016/j.pnsc.2008.01.039.

Restoration of Analong chuanjieensis, a sauropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic of China

A skull reconstruction and cranial bones from Shaochilong maortuensis, a small-bodied mid Cretaceous (Turonian) carcharodontosauri-an theropod from Inner Mongolia, China. A, skull reconstruction (courtesy of Brett Booth); B, right maxilla in lateral view (IVPP V.2885.4); C, braincase and skull roof in dorsal view (IVPP V.2885.1-2). Scale bars equal 5 centimeters.

Life restoration of the Triassic ichthyosaur Callawayia neoscapularis. Three specimens of this ichthyosaur are known, the holotype, ROM 41993, and two referred specimens, TMP 94.380.11 and 94.382.2. The skull is primarily based on ROM 41993, cross-checked against TMP 94.380.11 and TMP 94.382.2. The vertebral column is based primarily on TMP 94.382.2 as it is the most complete of these specimens, while the ribs were based on ROM 41993. The forelimbs were mainly based on those of ROM 41993, with TMP 94.380.11 used to determine their breadth. The hindlimbs were based on TMP 94.380.11, especially the more complete right hindlimb. ROM 41993 was cross-scaled with TMP 94.380.11 by the dimensions of the forelimb epipodials, which produced similar vertebral dimensions. The two TMP specimens were cross-scaled based on femoral length, also producing similar vertebral dimensions. Nicholls & Manabe (2001) stated that no wedge-shaped caudal centra supporting a tailbend were found and that there was no evidence of a bend being present, though considered that they might have existed in the gap in the preserved caudals. Since various other Triassic ichthyosaurs have since been found to have tail bends, one was illustrated here. A modest downturn of roughly 15° was illustrated, comparable to that in Guanlingsaurus, and the location of the bend within the gap in the preserved vertebrae matches well with the location of the bend in Guizhouichthyosaurus. References McGowan, C. (1994). "A new species of Shastasaurus (Reptilia: Ichthyosauria) from the Triassic of British Columbia: The most complete exemplar of the genus". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 14 (2): 168–179. DOI:10.1080/02724634.1994.10011550. Nicholls, E. L.; Manabe, M. (2001). "A new genus of ichthyosaur from the Late Triassic Pardonet Formation of British Columbia: Bridging the Triassic-Jurassic gap". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 38 (6): 983–1002. Ji, C.; Jiang, D.Y.; Hao, W.; Sun, Y. (2011). "True tailbend occurred in the Late Triassic: Evidence from ichthyosaur skeletons of South China". Acta Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Pekinensis 47 (2): 309–314. Shang, Q. H.; Li, C. (2009). "On the occurrence of the ichthyosaur Shastasaurus in the Guanling biota (Late Triassic), Guizhou, China". Vertebrata PalAsiatica 47 (3): 178–193.

Digital copy of 1978 slide. Natural History Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Complete indexed photo collection at WorldHistoryPics.com.

Digital copy of 1978 slide. Natural History Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Complete indexed photo collection at WorldHistoryPics.com.

Digital copy of 1978 slide. Natural History Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Complete indexed photo collection at WorldHistoryPics.com.

The GSSP for the Hirnantian stage in the ICS geological timescale (uppermost Ordovician stage), located in the Wangjiawan profile (an outcrop of black shale, brownishly weathered siliceous shale and chert layers of the Wufeng Formation) along the G241 road, about 40 km north of Yichang, Hubei, China. An exact golden spike is missing in the profile (2025) but a memorial plague marks the place. The GSSP occurs at the first appearance of fossils of the graptolite species Normalograptus extraordinarius. It was ratified in 2006.

Fossil of Mei long (holotype), on temporary display at the Shanghai Natural History Museum as part of the exhibition "China's Dinosaur World". Shot on July 22, 2025.

National Museum: China through the Ages, Exhibit 3. Complete indexed photo collection at WorldHistoryPics.com.

Jian changmaensis (left) attacks the early bird Gansus yumenensis (right) in what is now the Changma Basin of northwestern China approximately 120 million years ago

Jeholornis prima skeleton (IVPP V13350) on display at the Paleozoological Museum of China.

Jeholornis prima skeleton (IVPP V13350) on display at the Paleozoological Museum of China.

Elangatoolithidae fossil dinosaur eggs, from China. Exhibit in the Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Photography was permitted in this area of the museum without restrictions.

Sinocyamodus xinpuensis. www.tynhm.com/china/