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Alxasaurus
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Alxasaurus was a dinosaur that lived in what is today the Inner Mongolia
region of China.
It lived during the mid Cretaceous period,
around about 112 to 100 million years ago.
Alxasaurus is one of the earliest known members of the superfamily known as
Therizinosauroidea ("Therizinosaurs" for short). This is an unusual subgroup of
Theropod dinosaurs
that were herbivores (ate plants) - most
Theropods
were carnivores (ate meat).
Like other members of Therizinosauroidea, Alxasaurus was bipedal (walked on two legs), had a large gut for
processing plant material, and was equipped with a long neck, a short tail, and long claws on its hands.
While Alxasaurus has many typical Therizinosaur features, it also shared
a number of other features (like a particular bone found in its wrist, known as "semilunate carpal bone")
with other non-Therizinosaur Theropods - it was these features that helped scientists to first realize that
Therizinosaurs were a subgroup within the
Theropods.
Alxasaurus is believed to have grown up to about 12 feet (3.8 meters) long, and probably weighed around 2.5 tons.
There is, at the time of writing, no direct evidence about whether Alxasaurus had feathers, but we know that its
close relative Beipiaosaurus was feathered, so it does possible that Alxasaurus had
feathers too.
Alxasaurus was a herbivore (plant-eater) that lived from 112 to 100 million years ago
Related Information & Resources
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Alxasaurus Facts
Here is a summary of some of the key facts about Alxasaurus:
- Alxasaurus was a genus of dinosaur.
- "Alxasaurus" means "Alxa lizard". This name was chosen because the animal's fossils were discovered in the Alxa Desert (also known as the "Alashan Desert") in the Inner Mongolia region of China.
- Alxasaurus was a member of the Saurischia ("lizard-hipped") order of dinosaurs. What this means, is that although Alxasaurus was not closely related to lizards, it did have similarly shaped pelvic bones.
- Alxasaurus was a Theropod - a member of a group of related bipedal dinosaurs that included the ancestors of birds (although Alxasaurus was not itself an ancestor of birds).
- Alxasaurus lived between about 112 million years ago and 100 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period.
- Alxasaurus lived in what is today the Inner Mongolia region of China.
- Alxasaurus was a herbivore (plant-eater).
- Alxasaurus was about 12 feet (3.8 meters) long.
- Alxasaurus weighed about 2.5 tons.
Alxasaurus Books
Here are some books from Amazon.com:
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By John Long
Oxford University Press, USA
Hardcover (208 pages)
 | List Price: $39.95*
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*(As of 07:52 Pacific 17 May 2012 More Info)
Click Here | Product Description:
Scientists have recovered more than a billion fossils, but no discovery has been more breath-taking than the fossils recently found in northern China, findings which prove that several families of dinosaurs had feathers, or feathery hair-like coverings, adorning their bodies.
Now in the beautifully designed Feathered Dinosaurs, paleontologist John Long and illustrator Peter Schouten provide a stunning visual record of these extraordinary prehistoric creatures, illuminating the evolutionary march from primitive, feathered dinosaurs through to the first true flying birds. Schouten, an acclaimed natural history artist, has created 80 full-color paintings that capture the striking physical traits of these feathered dinosaurs. Drawing on his extensive knowledge of the lifestyles of modern birds and mammals, plus the extant scientific data regarding how these dinosaurs might have looked and behaved, Schouten has produced not only the most beautiful but also the most accurate visual representations of these animals in print. Equally important, John Long, a noted paleontologist and widely published science author (with some 24 books to his credit), provides an engaging companion text that places these feathered dinosaurs within the larger family of dinosaurs--for instance, outlining their relationship to T. Rex and Velociraptor, species well known to Jurassic Park fans--and discusses the factual information that can be deduced from their fossil remains, in effect providing an insightful natural history of this remarkable group.
A true marriage of art and science, Feathered Dinosaurs presents an unprecedented visual record of one of the most significant breakthroughs in the history of vertebrate paleontology--the discovery that many predatory dinosaurs were cloaked with feathers, perhaps just as colorful and fanciful as those of their living relatives. |
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By Steve Brusatte
Book Sales, Inc.
Hardcover (144 pages)
 | List Price: $14.99*
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Through a series of journal entries, kids will uncover the mysteries of the dinosaur kingdom—from the speedy and agile Coelophysis to the existence of Pangaea, the landmass of the earth some 227 million years ago when all of the continents were one. |
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University of California Press
Hardcover (880 pages)
 | List Price: $100.00*
Lowest New Price: $76.99*
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When the The Dinosauria was first published more than a decade ago, it was hailed as "the best scholarly reference work available on dinosaurs" and "an historically unparalleled compendium of information." This second, fully revised edition continues in the same vein as the first but encompasses the recent spectacular discoveries that have continued to revolutionize the field. A state-of-the-science view of current world research, the volume includes comprehensive coverage of dinosaur systematics, reproduction, and life history strategies, biogeography, taphonomy, paleoecology, thermoregulation, and extinction. Its internationally renowned authors--forty-four specialists on the various members of the Dinosauria--contribute definitive descriptions and illustrations of these magnificent Mesozoic beasts.
The first section of The Dinosauria begins with the origin of the great clade of these fascinating reptiles, followed by separate coverage of each major dinosaur taxon, including the Mesozoic radiation of birds. The second part of the volume navigates through broad areas of interest. Here we find comprehensive documentation of dinosaur distribution through time and space, discussion of the interface between geology and biology, and the paleoecological inferences that can be made through this link. This new edition will be the benchmark reference for everyone who needs authoritative information on dinosaurs. |
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