Open Paleo

Hexinlusaurus

Barrett et al., 2005 huh-SHEEN-lu-SOR-us

Named for He Xinlu, a Chinese paleontologist, combined with Greek 'sauros' meaning 'lizard'.

170.9–154.8 million years ago Bajocian–Oxfordian, Middle Jurassic–Late Jurassic
Middle Jurassic and Late Jurassic stages

Hexinlusaurus is a genus of basal ornithischian dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic (Bajocian stage) Lower Shaximiao Formation of what is now China. The type and only species is Hexinlusaurus multidens.

Diagnosis

  1. Marked concavity extending over lateral surface of postorbital

Species

Hexinlusaurus multidens Barrett et al., 2005

Type species

From Latin 'multi' ('many') and 'dens' ('teeth'), referring to the animal's large number of teeth.

Holotype
ZDM T6001 , Zigong Dinosaur Museum
Material
Nearly complete articulated skull and postcranial skeleton.
Horizon
lower Shaximiao Formation, Bajocian–Oxfordian, Middle Jurassic–Late Jurassic , 170.9–154.8 million years ago
Locality
Dashanpu, Sichuan, China Barrett and colleagues (2005) place Hexinlusaurus, Agilisaurus and Xiaosaurus at one quarry at Dashanpu without naming it.

Synonyms of the genus

Name Type Reason
Proyandusaurus informal Published in a 1999 abstract attributed to Knoll without Knoll's consent; the taxon was subsequently formally described as Hexinlusaurus.

References

  1. Barrett, P. M.; Butler, R. J.; Knoll, F. (2005). Small-bodied ornithischian dinosaurs from the Middle Jurassic of Sichuan, China. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 25(4): 823-834. Informa UK Limited. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2005)025[0823:sodftm]2.0.co;2 barrett2005a
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Ornithischians. Princeton University Press.

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

    jones2026a