During which specific time interval is the existence of *Xiaosaurus* generally placed?
Answer
Middle Jurassic Period, between 169 and 163 mya
The temporal placement of *Xiaosaurus* firmly anchors it within the Middle Jurassic Period of Earth's history. The timeframe for its existence is consistently placed between approximately 169 and 163 million years ago (mya). Furthermore, specific paleontological dating refines this placement within the Bathonian-Callovian Stage of the Dogger Epoch, which falls entirely within the Middle Jurassic. This places *Xiaosaurus* at a time when ornithischian diversity was in its early stages, preceding the evolution of more massive and elaborate armored dinosaurs and ceratopsians seen later in the Cretaceous period.
Related Questions
What is the literal translation of the genus name *Xiaosaurus*?Which specific geological formation yielded the initial fossil remains of *Xiaosaurus*?What key anatomical feature defines the Order Ornithischia, placing *Xiaosaurus* within the 'bird-hipped' lineage?What defining characteristic related to food processing did Fabrosaurids like *Xiaosaurus* generally lack?During which specific time interval is the existence of *Xiaosaurus* generally placed?What scientific classification issue arises from the limited fossil material known for *Xiaosaurus*?Who formally named the genus *Xiaosaurus* and in what year was the genus established?How is the primary mode of locomotion described for the small ornithischian *Xiaosaurus*?What is the specific geographical feature honored by the species name *dashanpensis*?What characterizes the teeth of *Xiaosaurus*, reflecting its herbivorous diet?