Jurassic
Shunosaurus
Shunosaurus lii
The catalogue presents Shunosaurus as a herbivore member of Shunosauridae that lived during the Jurassic, between 170 Ma. Its estimated range is 11.0 m in length and 3 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 Shunosaurus, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Dong et al. (1983).
The PBDB places it in Eusauropoda, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Shunosauridae.
- PBDB · taxon.parent
- Shunosauridae
In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range runs from the Aalenian to the Oxfordian.
The PBDB catalogues 4 occurrences, with material from the Shaximiao Formation (4). Provenance: China.
The catalogue records the holotype as ZDM T5402 and the type locality as “Sichuan, China”.
- ZDM T5402
- Sichuan, China
The catalogue's reference measurements are 11.0 m in length and 3 t in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.
- 11.0 m
- 3 tons
The record gathers 45 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
- 11.0 m
- Weight
- 3 t
- Period
- Jurassic
- Time range
- 170 Ma
Discovery Information
- First Discovery
- 1983
- Described by
- Zhang Yihong
Taxonomic Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Saurischia
- Family
- Shunosauridae
- Genus
- Shunosaurus
- Species
- S. lii
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
- ZDM T5402
- Type locality
- Sichuan, China