Beipiaognathus
Named after Beipiao, a city in Liaoning Province, China, combined with Greek gnathos meaning 'jaw'. Full meaning: 'Beipiao jaw'.
Beipiaognathus is a dubious genus of coelurosaurian theropod from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Liaoning, China. The type species is Beipiaognathus jii and it was named and described by Hu and colleagues in 2016.
Under dispute
Beipiaognathus was described as a compsognathid, but its holotype is widely regarded as a composite or heavily restored specimen, first assessed as a mis-restored chimera by Cau (informally, 2016). Its validity and placement are therefore doubtful, but it is retained in Compsognathidae as originally described, pending re-examination that may isolate the composite elements from diagnosable material.
Species
Beipiaognathus jii Hu et al., 2016 Nomen dubium
Type species
Named in honor of Prof. Ji Qiang for contributions to the study of compsognathids.
- Holotype
- AGB4997 , Geological and Paleontological Museum of Anhui
- Material
- Nearly complete skeleton preserved in right lateral view.
- Horizon
- Yixian Formation, Barremian, Early Cretaceous , 125.8–121.4 million years ago
- Locality
- Beipiao City, Liaoning, China
References
- Hu, Y.; Wang, X.; Huang, J. (2016). A new species of compsognathid from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, China. Journal of Geology 40(2): 191-196. doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-3636.2016.02.191 hu2016a
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Xing, L.; Miyashita, T.; Wang, D.; Niu, K.; Currie, P. J. (2020). A new compsognathid theropod dinosaur from the oldest assemblage of the Jehol Biota in the Lower Cretaceous Huajiying Formation, northeastern China. Cretaceous Research 107. Elsevier BV. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2019.104285
Description of Xunmenglong; references Cau's assessment of the Beipiaognathus holotype as a composite / mis-restored specimen.
xing2020a