What is the specific geographical feature honored by the species name *dashanpensis*?
Answer
Dashanpu
The specific epithet appended to the genus name, forming the type species *Xiaosaurus dashanpensis*, serves as a direct geographical honorific. The suffix *dashanpensis* recognizes and pays tribute to the location where the initial, significant fossil fragments of the dinosaur were unearthed. This discovery site is known as Dashanpu, which is situated in the Sichuan area of China. This naming convention is common in paleontology, linking the specific species designation directly to the provenance of the holotype specimen.
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?