Fun Xinjiangtitan Facts For Kids

Xinjiangtitans are possibly one of the longest sauropods to have walked this Earth.

The Xinjiangtitans also possessed one of the longest necks ever in a terrestrial creature from the Triassic or Jurrasic Period. The first record of this giant beast was from 2012, when it was found in the county of Shanshan, China.

Finally, in 2013, the holotype of the specimen was renamed as 'Xinjiangtitan' from SSV12001. The partial but well-preserved holotype specimen produced enough evidence with the help of technology to render accurate models of how the creature looked and how large it was based on the available remains or the bone sizes. Additional research is being conducted regarding their traits and behavior, however, for that, more evidence than the available holotype is required.

How do you pronounce 'Xinjiangtitan'?

Xinjiangtitan is pronounced as 'Shin-ji-yan-tie-tan' and the name was first used in the paper by W. H. Wu and C. F. Zhou. The word is derived from the Xinjiang province of China and from the word, 'titan', referring to giants in Greek mythology.

What type of dinosaur was a Xinjiangtitan?

The Xingiantitan belongs to the Mamenchisauridae family and is one of the largest sauropods to have ever roamed this Earth.

In which geological period did the Xinjiangtitan roam the Earth?

Members of the Xinjiangtitan species are believed to have roamed the world during the Middle Jurrasic Period. The fossilized remains of this creature are around 168 million to 164 million years old. Thus, implying that they were active during the Bathononian age of the Middle Jurrasic Period.

When did the Xinjiangtitan become extinct?

According to paleontologists, these creatures might have survived till the Late Jurrasic Period at most, thus the Xinjiangtitan became extinct during the middle of the Mesozoic Era.

Where did Xinjiangtitan live?

Due to the fossil of the Xinjiangtitan being discovered in the northwestern province of China, these creatures are believed to have been living there. The Xinjiangtitan that was dug up was a part of the Quiketai Formation, a geological unit in Xinjiang, China.

What was the Xinjiangtitans' habitat?

Evidence from this geological formation suggests that the Quiketai Formation in China was made of dry woodlands and coastal areas with alluvial soil. Like most members of the sauropoda family, the Xingiangtitans have been estimated to spend their lives near areas with plenty of vegetation.

Who did the Xinjiangtitan live with?

Like other sauropoda and herbivore dinosaur species, the Xingiangtitans probably lived in herds and possibly were social animals. Based on research and fossils found, members of the sauropoda species are also known for living with their young and having families.

How long did a Xinjiangtitan live?

The lifespan of these dinosaurs cannot be estimated due to a lack of data.

How did they reproduce?

Unfortunately, studies of these dinosaurs have not yielded any answer regarding their reproductive process, because of which facts about their sexual maturity age, clutch size, or gestation period are also unknown. However, based on other sauropoda species, these creatures were oviparous and used direct dispersal during reproduction.

What did the Xinjiangtitan look like?

By examining the fossilized remains, these creatures have been modeled as being ginormous with extremely long necks. The bone structure of the Xinjiangtitan suggests that this creature might be one of the longest sauropods ever known to man. Their necks were also extremely long, as evident from the size of their dorsal vertibrae. Their cervical vertebrae are also longer than other similar creatures.

How many bones did a Xinjiangtitan have?

The bone composition of this dinosaur has not been found because of a lack of fossil findings. However, being a sauropod, it is estimated that dinosaurs had a good number of bones that would be required to support their weight.

How did they communicate?

The communication method of these dinosaurs has not been defined as of yet, but visual communication is thought to be a common communication method.

How big was the Xinjiangtitan?

The Xinjiangtitans were about 88.6–105 ft (27–32 m) in length. They were also about 56 ft (17 m) tall, which is ginormous. Compared to an Unescoceratops, which is about 3.3-6.6 ft (1-2 m) in length, the Xingiantitan is much larger when it comes to length.

How fast could a Xinjiangtitan move?

Like other members of other sauropoda species, Xinjiangtitans were huge and extremely heavy. Thus, their bodies did not allow them to move at very high speeds. However, due to the lack of data on extinct genus of reptiles, the exact speed is hard to determine.

How much did a Xinjiangtitan weigh?

It is estimated that the Xinjiangtitans weighed about 55000-88200 lb (24947.58-40006.85 kg).

What were the male and female names of the species?

No particular name was assigned to either sex.

What would you call a baby Xinjiangtitan?

A baby Xinjiangtitan has not been given any specific name.

How aggressive were they?

Like other members of the sauropoda family, the Xinjiangtitans were possibly very calm and lived a peaceful life with other species.

Did You Know…

'Shanshanesis', the specific name of the Xinjiangtitans given by W. H. Wu, C. F. Zhou, and Oliver Wings. This part of the name is derived from the county of Shanshan, a county named after the ancient Shanshan Kingdom.

In the initial research paper, the Xinjiangtitan fossils were said to have been found in the Qigu formation in China, however, that is inaccurate as it was found in the layers of the Qiketai Formation.

The Xinjiangtitan is popular due to the size of its neck. The length of a Xinjiangtitan's neck can reach double the size of a neck from other smaller members of the sauropoda family.

*We've been unable to source an image of Xinjiangtitan and have used an image of T-Rex instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of Xinjiangtitan, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected]

*We've been unable to source an image of Xinjiangtitan and have used an image of Stegosaurus instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of Xinjiangtitan, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected]