Shantungosaurus giganteus Hu, 1973
Synonym: Zhuchengosaurus maximus Zhao et al., 2007
Shantungosaurus, meaning "Shandong Lizard", is a genus of saurolophine hadrosaurid dinosaurs found in the Late Cretaceous Wangshi Formation of the Shandong Peninsula in China.
Discovery and species
First described in 1973, Shantungosaurus is known from over five incomplete skeletons. Chinese scientist Xing Xu and his colleagues indicate that Shantungosaurus is very similar to and shares many unique characters with Edmontosaurus, forming a Asian node of Edmontosaurus–Shantungosaurus clade, based on the new materials recovered in Shandong. Remains of several individuals, including skull bones, limb bones, and vertebrae, were found in Shandong, China. These specimens were classified in the new genus and species Zhuchengosaurus maximus in 2007. However, further study showed that the supposedly distinct features of Zhuchengosaurus were simply a result of different growth stages.
Zhao, X.; Li, D.; Han, G.; Hao, H.; Liu, F.; Li, L.; and Fang, X. 2007. Zhuchengosaurus maximus from Shandong Province. Acta Geoscientia Sinica. 28 (2): 111–122.
