Xinjiangtitan

Phylogeny: Dinosauria > Saurischia > Sauropodomorpha > Plateosauria > Massopoda > Sauropodiformes > Sauropoda > Gravisauria > Eusauropoda > Mamenchisauridae

Overview: Xinjiangtitan takes its name from the Xinjiang region of western China, covered today in large swathes of desert and mountain ranges. In the Middle Jurassic, this region was far more wet and lush, with large river systems and lakes dotting the landscape. Conifers, cycads, ferns, ginkgoes and horsetails are among the plants that would’ve grown here, acting as food for Xinjiangtitan and a wide variety of other herbivores. As to what specific herbivores it coexisted with, we can’t be sure, as Xinjiangtitan is currently the only dinosaur yet described from the Qiketai Formation. Fossilized remains of Xinjiangtitan were first recovered in 2012, leading to its eventual description a year later. It’s primarily based on most of its neck vertebrae, portions of the spinal vertebrae, rib material, the pelvis, some leg bones, and a good bit of the tail.

The known remains of Xinjiangtitan paint the picture of a truly remarkable animal, counted among the largest dinosaurs ever found in China. It likely grew to be at least thirty meters in length, with a weight of a few dozen tons. Sauropods, it seems, were already reaching enormous sizes by the end of the Middle Jurassic. The neck alone was quite astonishing, representing one of the longest necks of any known animal, long even by sauropod standards. It alone was up to fifteen or so meters long. This allowed Xinjiangtitan to feed at a significantly higher level than other herbivores, allowing it to avoid direct competition. Such a neck is to be expected considering its classification, with scientists tending to classify Xinjiangtitan within the family Mamenchisauridae. Mamenchisaurus itself was a contender for having the longest known sauropod neck.