Lufengosaurus

dinosaur · early jurassic · long-necked · china

Long-necked plant-eater. Lufengosaurus had a stretched-out neck and small head, perfect for reaching leaves high up in trees that other dinosaurs couldn't reach.

Ancient Chinese resident. This dinosaur lived in what is now southwestern China during the Early Jurassic period, about 195 to 190 million years ago.

Bulky but balanced. Lufengosaurus walked on four strong legs and had a long tail that helped it balance, even though its front half was heavy with muscle.

Mid-sized sauropod. Unlike the giant sauropods that came later, Lufengosaurus was a more modest dinosaur, probably around 30 feet long from nose to tail.

Leaf-munching family. It belonged to a group called massospondylids, early relatives of the famous long-necked dinosaurs that would later grow much bigger.