Genus
Valid Extinct

Mamenchisaurus

Young 1954
Etymology Reptile de Mamenchi

Mamenchisaurus is an extinct genus of sauropod dinosaurs known for their remarkably long necks, which made up nearly half the total body length. Numerous species have been assigned to the genus; however, the validity of these assignments has been questioned. Fossils have been found in the Sichuan Basin and Yunnan Province in China. Several species from the Upper Shaximiao Formation, whose geologic age is uncertain, have been described. However, evidence suggests this formation to be no earlier than the Oxfordian stage of the Late Jurassic. M. sinocanadorum dates to the Oxfordian stage, and M. anyuensis to the Aptian stage of the Early Cretaceous. Most species were medium-large to large sauropods, measuring roughly 15 to 26 meters in length—possibly up to 35 meters (115 ft), based on two undescribed vertebrae.

Temporal range
Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous
Paleogene
Neogene
252 201 145 66 0 Ma
PBDB occurrences
24
Group
Dinosaures
Herbivore Ground dwelling, gregarious Terrestrial
Mamenchisaurus
click to enlarge
Wikimedia
PBDB Wikipedia
Classification
Dinosauria Unranked clade
Saurischia Unranked clade
Sauropodomorpha Unranked clade
Massopoda Unranked clade
Sauropodiformes Unranked clade
Sauropoda Unranked clade
Gravisauria Unranked clade
Eusauropoda Unranked clade
Mamenchisauridae Unranked clade
Mamenchisaurus Genus
Measurements
Length
9,4 m
Mamenchisaurus yunnanensis — min connu
31 m
Mamenchisaurus jingyanensis  — max connu
22 m
Mass
2 700 kg
Mamenchisaurus yunnanensis — min connu
45 000 kg
Mamenchisaurus jingyanensis  — max connu
Fossil sites 24 geolocated sites
Distribution
Top countries
🇨🇳 China
15
🇲🇳 Mongolia
7
🇹🇭 Thailand
2
Geological formations
Ulan Malgait
6
Xiangtang
2
Phu Kradung
2
Shishugou
1
Penglaizhen
1
Upper Shaximiao
1
Dariv
1
Suining
1
Temporal distribution
Aptian (121.4–113.2 Ma)
1
Tithonian (149.2–143.1 Ma)
9
Kimmeridgian (154.8–149.2 Ma)
5
Oxfordian (161.5–154.8 Ma)
2
Callovian (165.3–161.5 Ma)
7
Species (8)
Mamenchisaurus anyuensis 162 Ma
Mamenchisaurus constructus 162 Ma
Mamenchisaurus gongjianensis
Mamenchisaurus hochuanensis 168 Ma
Mamenchisaurus jingyanensis 168 Ma
Mamenchisaurus sanjiangensis 162 Ma
Mamenchisaurus sinocanadorum 162 Ma
Mamenchisaurus youngi 168 Ma
Images 1
Bibliography
Original description
C.-C. Young. 1954. On a new sauropod from Yiping, Szechuan, China. Acta Paleontologica Sinica 2(4):355-369
Bibliography (15)
H. Dai, X. Hu, and C. Tan, X. Ren, Q. Ma, G. Wei, H. You. 2025. A new mamenchisaurid sauropod dinosaur from the Upper Jurassic of Southwest China reveals new evolutionary evidence from East Asian eusauropods. Scientific Reports 15:43308 DOI ↗
S. Suteethorn, J. L. Loeuff, and E. Buffetaut, V. Suteethorn, K. Wongko. 2013. First evidence of a mamenchisaurid dinosaur from the Late Jurassic/Early Cretaceous Phu Kradung Formation of Thailand. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 58(3):459-469 DOI ↗
D. B. Weishampel, P. M. Barrett, and R. A. Coria, J. Le Loeuff, X. Xu, X. Zhao, A. Sahni, E. M. P. Gomani, C. R. Noto. 2004. Dinosaur distribution. The Dinosauria (2nd edition). University of California Press, Berkeley DOI ↗
H. Ouyang and Y. Ye. 2002. The first mamenchisaurian skeleton with complete skull: Mamenchisaurus youngi. Sichuan Science and Technology Press, Chengdu
Y. Zhang, K. Li, and Q. Zeng. 1998. A new species of sauropod from the Late Jurassic of the Sichuan Basin (Mamenchisaurus jingyanensis sp. nov.). Journal of the Chengdu University of Technology 25(1):61-68
S. A. Graham, M. S. Hendrix, and R. Barsbold, D. Badamgarav, D. Sjostrom, W. Kirschner, J. S. McIntosh. 1997. Stratigraphic occurrence, paleoenvironment, and description of the oldest known dinosaur (Late Jurassic) from Mongolia. Palaios 12:292-297 DOI ↗
Y. M. Gubin and S. M. Sinitza. 1996. Shar Teg: a unique Mesozoic locality of Asia. The Continental Jurassic. Museum of Northern Arizona Bulletin 60:311-318
X. He, S. Yang, and K. Cai, K. Li, Z. Liu. 1996. [A new species of sauropod, Mamenchisaurus anyuensis sp. nov.]. Papers on Geosciences Contributed to the 30th International Geological Congress
D. A. Russell and Z. Zheng. 1994. A large mamenchisaurid from the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 30(10-11):2082-2095 DOI ↗
Z. Dong. 1992. Dinosaurian Faunas of China. China Ocean Press, Beijing
Z. Dong, S. Zhou, and H. Zhang. 1983. [Dinosaurs from the Jurassic of Sichuan]. Palaeontologica Sinica, New Series C, Whole Number 162(23):1-136
M. Chow and T. H. V. Rich. 1982. Shuotherium dongi, n. gen. and sp., a therian with pseudo-tribosphenic molars from the Jurassic of Sichuan, China. Australian Mammalogy 54:127-142 DOI ↗
S. Chao. 1965. Wǒguó de dà kǒnglóng yī héchuān mǎmén xī lóng [China’s largest dinosaur—Hehchuan-Mamenxian dragon]. Sheng wu xue tong bao [Bulletin of Biology] 1965(4):35-37
C.-C. Young. 1958. New sauropods from China. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 2(1):1-28
C.-C. Young. 1954. On a new sauropod from Yiping, Szechuan, China. Acta Paleontologica Sinica 2(4):355-369