Open Paleo

Kulindadromeus

Godefroit et al., 2014 KOO-lin-dah-DRO-mee-us

From the Kulinda fossil sites in Russia combined with Greek 'dromeus' (runner); meaning 'Kulinda runner'

168.2–165.3 million years ago Bathonian, Middle Jurassic
Middle Jurassic stages

Kulindadromeus is a genus of basal neornithischian dinosaur that lived during the Middle Jurassic. The first Kulindadromeus fossil was found in Russia. Its feather-like integument is evidence for protofeathers being basal to Ornithischia and possibly Dinosauria as a whole, rather than just to Coelurosauria, as previously suspected.

Diagnosis

  1. Maxilla with rostral ascending process much lower than caudal ascending process and maxillary fenestra larger than antorbital fenestra
  2. Jugal with notched postorbital ramus
  3. Postorbital with dorsoventrally expanded caudal ramus
  4. Dorsoventrally slender postacetabular process on ilium
  5. Deep extensor fossae on metatarsals II to IV
  6. Diverse epidermal appendages including monofilaments and compound feather-like structures alongside scales
  7. Basal neornithischian with sister relationship to Cerapoda

Species

Kulindadromeus zabaikalicus Godefroit et al., 2014

Type species

Named for Zabaykalsky Krai in Russia, where the Kulinda fossil sites are located, with the Latin suffix '-icus' meaning 'pertaining to'.

Holotype
INREC K3/109 , Institute of Natural Resources, Ecology and Cryology of the Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences
Material
Six partial skulls and several hundred disarticulated skeletons from two neighboring monospecific bone beds.
Horizon
lower Ukureyskaya Formation, Bathonian, Middle Jurassic , 168.2–165.3 million years ago
Locality
Kulinda, Zabaykalsky, Russia

Synonyms of the genus

Name Type Reason
Daurosaurus boycotted Based on material reportedly stolen from the Kulindadromeus type locality; rejected by the original describing team.
Kulindapteryx boycotted Based on material reportedly stolen from the Kulindadromeus type locality; rejected by the original describing team.
Lepidocheirosaurus junior subjective Described from the same formation as Kulindadromeus, alongside Daurosaurus and Kulindapteryx; now widely treated as a junior synonym.

References

  1. Godefroit, P.; Sinitsa, S. M.; Dhouailly, D.; Bolotsky, Y. L.; Sizov, A. V.; McNamara, M. E.; Benton, M. J.; Spagna, P. (2014). A Jurassic ornithischian dinosaur from Siberia with both feathers and scales. Science 345(6195): 451-455. American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). doi:10.1126/science.1253351 godefroit2014a
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Ornithischians. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the hip height estimate, and the appearance features.

    jones2026a