A new friend Chongzuo the “Sinopliosaurus” joined the grand dinosaur family of the PNSO Prehistoric Animal Models series on 14th, August 2022. Let’s get to know it with some details.
Stories written by: YANG Yang
Who is Chongzuo the “Sinopliosaurus”?
In 1942, scientists named a plesiosaur, the Sinopliosaurus weiyuanensis. Later, according to several teeth, they named another species of this genus, the Sinopliosaurus fusuiensis. But now, S. fusuiensis is believed to be a spinosaurid dinosaur. However, as this animal is not officially renamed, we still call it S. fusuiensis or “S.” fusuiensis. Chongzuo is a “S.” fusuiensis, being good at swimming and fishing.
Model Size/293mm X 30mm X 80mm
Model Material/ Environment-friendly PVC, hand painting
Model Structure/Solid Structure
Package Size/321.5mm X 125mm X 52mm
Inside Package/ Model + A3 Poster + Product Manual
Transparent Support/Yes
How did ZHAO Chuang and YANG Yang create Chongzuo the “Sinopliosaurus”?
The Size of Chongzuo the “Sinopliosaurus”
Until now, five teeth were all the fossils of “S.” fusuiensis. About its body size, we speculate its body length was between 8 to 11 meters.
The Head of Chongzuo the “Sinopliosaurus”
We can speculate and reconstruct the skull shape of Chongzuo the “Sinopliosaurus” based on the skull fossils of other spinosaurids. In our reconstruction, the head of Chongzuo the “Sinopliosaurus” is narrow and long, similar to that of crocodiles, which shows its habits of swimming and fishing.
The Teeth of Chongzuo the “Sinopliosaurus”
The teeth of “Sinopliosaurus” was the only body structure that had fossil evidence. From the fossils, its teeth had both features of spinosaurines (no serrations) and baryonychines (longitudinal lines), so it was speculated as a member of the Spinosauridae.
The Limbs of Chongzuo the “Sinopliosaurus”
We reconstructed the forelimb of “Sinopliosaurus” smaller to make it look like a swimming animal and differentiate it from the terrestrial predatory dinosaurs, which often used claws on their forelimbs to hunt. The hindlimbs of “Sinopliosaurus” were similar to those of crocodiles, which demonstrates its ability to swim.
The Trunk of Chongzuo the “Sinopliosaurus”
We can infer the shape of the “Sinopliosaurus” body by looking at spinosaurids in general. “Sinopliosaurus” had a raised sail-like structure on its back, and the sail might have had strong muscles on both sides, making the trunk look rounded.
The Tail of Chongzuo the “Sinopliosaurus”
We combine the characteristics of Suchomimus and Spinosaurus to make the tail of “Sinopliosaurus” look flat and broad from the side. This tail, similar to what certain aquatic animals have, demonstrates its ability to swim.
Learn while Play
Subscribe to PNSO.Official YouTube channel. Get to know Chongzuo the “Sinopliosaurus” with ZHAO Chuang in the playlist of PNSO Prehistoric Animal Models-Get to Know Dinosaurs. Learn to draw Chongzuo the “Sinopliosaurus” with ZHAO Chuang in the playlist of PNSO Prehistoric Animal Models-Learn to Draw Dinosaurs.
