Open Paleo

Ganzhousaurus

Wang et al., 2013 kan-jo-SOR-us

Ganzhou lizard; named after Ganzhou City in Jiangxi Province, China, combined with Greek sauros (lizard)

72.2–66.0 million years ago Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Ganzhousaurus is an extinct genus of oviraptorid dinosaur known from the Late Cretaceous Nanxiong Formation of Nankang County, Ganzhou City of Jiangxi Province, southern China. It was found in a Maastrichtian deposit and contains a single species, Ganzhousaurus nankangensis. It is distinguished by a combination of primitive and derived features.

Diagnosis

  1. Relatively shallow dentary with length-to-depth ratio of 1.90, shallower than in other oviraptorids such as Citipati (1.50) and Nemegtomaia (1.38).
  2. Absence of fossa or pneumatopore on lateral surface of dentary, in contrast to Gigantoraptor, Chirostenotes, and Caenagnathasia.
  3. Ventral border of external mandibular fenestra formed mainly by angular, unlike other oviraptorids where the dentary posteroventral branch forms most of the ventral border.
  4. Angular anterior process wider transversely than deep dorsoventrally, unknown in other oviraptorosaurs.
  5. Shallow longitudinal groove along medial surface of dentary posteroventral process, condition uncertain in most other oviraptorosaurs.
  6. Prominent ventral flange along distal half of metatarsal II, giving bone a subtriangular mid-shaft cross-section; absent in Citipati and Heyuannia.

Species

Ganzhousaurus nankangensis Wang et al., 2013

Type species

Named for Nankang County, Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province, China, where the holotype was discovered.

Holotype
SDM 20090302 , Museum in the Park
Material
Partial semi-articulated skeleton including incomplete mandible, posterior caudals, partial ilium, and right pes
Horizon
Nanxiong Formation, Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous , 72.2–66.0 million years ago
Locality
Jiangxi, China Wang and colleagues (2013) bought the holotype from a fossil dealer and record that the precise locality is not clear, placing it only in Nankang County within Ganzhou City.

References

  1. Wang, S.; Sun, C.; Sullivan, C.; Xu, X. (2013). A new oviraptorid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of southern China. Zootaxa 3640(2). Magnolia Press. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3640.2.7 wang2013b
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Theropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the body length, mass, and hip height estimates.

    jones2026c