Jurassic
Datousaurus
Datousaurus bashanensis
The catalogue presents Datousaurus as a herbivore member of Cetiosauridae that lived during the Jurassic, between 165 Ma. Its estimated range is 15.0 m in length and 15 t in mass, giving a practical sense of scale. Reference material comes from Sichuan, China. Size and mass are approximations and may change with new fossils or methods.
Evidence-backed summary
For Datousaurus, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Dong and Tang (1984).
The PBDB places it in Eusauropoda, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Cetiosauridae.
- PBDB · taxon.parent
- Cetiosauridae
In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range runs from the Aalenian to the Oxfordian.
The PBDB catalogues 1 occurrence, with material from the Shaximiao Formation (1). Provenance: China.
The catalogue records the holotype as CV 00256 and the type locality as “Sichuan, China”.
- CV 00256
- Sichuan, China
The catalogue's reference measurements are 15.0 m in length and 15 t in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.
- 15.0 m
- 15 tons
The record gathers 18 bibliographic references registered in the PBDB, listed below.
Where it lived
Fossil occurrences on today’s map and in the tectonic reconstruction.
Positions reconstructed by PBDB/GPlates, not observed; this is not an exact habitat map.
Artistic 3D reconstruction
There is no approved species-specific 3D model yet. Generic anatomy will not be presented as if it were evidence.
Physical Specifications
- Length
- 15.0 m
- Weight
- 15 t
- Period
- Jurassic
- Time range
- 165 Ma
Discovery Information
- First Discovery
- 1984
- Described by
- Dong Zhiming & Tang Zilu
Taxonomic Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Saurischia
- Family
- Cetiosauridae
- Genus
- Datousaurus
- Species
- D. bashanensis
Data status
Taxonomic name matched to PBDB and checked on 2026-08-08.
Taxonomic linkage does not automatically validate size, mass, behaviour or appearance.
- Type specimen
- CV 00256
- Type locality
- Sichuan, China