biology

Shenzhousaurus

Shenzhousaurus is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Shenzhousaurus rather than just read about it. In short: Shenzhousaurus (meaning "Shenzhou lizard") is a genus of basal ornithomimosaurian theropod dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of China.The holotype (NGMC 97–4–002, National Geological Museum of China) was collected from near the bottom (fluvial beds) of the Yixian Formation (Aptian) at the Sihetun fossil site, Beipiao, western Liaoning Province. This specimen consists of a partial skeleton preserved on a sandstone s…

Key takeaways

Shenzhousaurus belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Shenzhousaurus to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Shenzhousaurus from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Shenzhousaurus (meaning "Shenzhou lizard") is a genus of basal ornithomimosaurian theropod dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of China.The holotype (NGMC 97–4–002, National Geological Museum of China) was collected from near the bottom (fluvial beds) of the Yixian Formation (Aptian) at the Sihetun fossil site, Beipiao, western Liaoning Province. This specimen consists of a partial skeleton preserved on a sandstone slab in a "death pose," its head above the torso. The distal parts of the hindlimbs, distal portion of the tail, and the forelimbs (except for part of the right hand) and the pectoral girdle are missing. The head is crushed, exposing the left side obliquely.

Shenzhousaurus was first described by Qiang Ji, Mark Norell, Peter J. Makovicky, Keqin Gao, Shu-An Ji and Chongxi Yuan in 2003 and the type species is Shenzhousaurus orientalis. The genus is currently monotypic and appears to be more derived than Pelecanimimus polyodon, yet less derived than Harpymimus oklandikovi. It may be distinguished from the latter by its "straight ischial shaft and acuminateposterior end of the ilium" and from all other ornithomimosaurs excepting Harpymimus by the relative length of metacarpal I (only half that of metacarpal II) and in that its reduced dentition is restricted to the symphyseal portion of the dentary. The holotype skull measure 185 mm. A number of pebbles found in the thoracic cavity have been interpreted as gastroliths.

See also Timeline of ornithomimosaur research

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Shenzhousaurus

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Shenzhousaurus claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Shenzhousaurus before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Shenzhousaurus ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Shenzhousaurus

In research: Shenzhousaurus appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Shenzhousaurus in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Shenzhousaurus is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Barremian dinosaurs, Dinosaur genera, Dinosaurs of China, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Shenzhousaurus outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Shenzhousaurus in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Shenzhousaurus means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Shenzhousaurus out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Shenzhousaurus in simple terms?

Why does Shenzhousaurus matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Shenzhousaurus?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Shenzhousaurus.