Lufengosaurus is one of the earliest archaeopod dinosaurs discovered in my country, belonging to the family Plasmosauridae within the suborder Archaeopoda. It was agile, with a small, not very elongated skull, large, round eye sockets, a robust tail, and exceptionally well-developed first digits (or toes) on its hands and feet. Its mouth contained at least 25 teeth, resembling leaf leaves with faint serrations along their edges. Unlike typical bipedal dinosaurs, Lufengosaurus's forelimbs were not particularly short, suggesting it may have possessed limited quadrupedal locomotion. Living along lake shores or in swampy areas, Lufengosaurus was likely an omnivorous dinosaur.
Giant Lufeng Dragon
Lufengosaurus was discovered in Lufeng County, Yunnan Province, my country. Two species have been found: Lufengosaurus xuei and Lufengosaurus gigantica.
The *Lufengosaurus xuei* measured approximately 6 meters from head to tail and stood over 2 meters tall. It had a small head with a pointed snout, triangular nostrils, and large eye sockets. Its dentary bones were thin and weak; it had about 27 upper teeth and 20 lower teeth, shaped like flat leaves with serrated edges. The *Lufengosaurus xuei* had a long neck with 10 cervical vertebrae. It also had 14 dorsal vertebrae, 3 sacral vertebrae, and 45 caudal vertebrae. Both its cervical and dorsal vertebrae were quite robust. The *Lufengosaurus xuei* had short forelimbs and long, robust hind limbs; both fore and hind feet had five digits (toes), with the phalanges of the hind feet being stronger than those of the forefeet; the first claws of both feet were well-developed. This suggests that it could stand and walk on its hind feet while alive, using its tail for balance. It could also use its forelimbs for support when foraging or resting.
The skeletal structure of the giant Lufengosaurus is very similar to that of the Xu's Lufengosaurus, except that the individual is significantly larger and appears more cumbersome.
Xu's Lufeng Dragon
