Open Paleo

Liaoningosaurus

Xu et al., 2001 LYOW-ning-o-SAWR-us

Named after Liaoning Province, China, where the fossil was found; meaning "Liaoning lizard"

125.8–121.4 million years ago Barremian, Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous stages

Liaoningosaurus is an unusual genus of basal ankylosaurid dinosaur from the Liaoning Province, China that lived during the Early Cretaceous (late Barremian to early Aptian stages, ~125.4 to 118.9 Ma) in what is now the Yixian and Jiufotang Formation. The type and only species, Liaoningosaurus paradoxus, is known from more than 20 specimens, represented by juvenile individuals. It was named in 2001 by Xu, Wang and You.

Diagnosis

  1. Shell-like ventral armor
  2. Trapezoidal sternum with slender, distally pointed posterolateral process and short medial articular margin
  3. Pes more than twice as long as manus

Species

Liaoningosaurus paradoxus Xu et al., 2001

Type species

From Latin 'paradoxus' meaning 'paradoxical' or 'contrary to expectation', in reference to the suite of highly unusual traits this dinosaur possesses for an ankylosaur.

Holotype
IVPP V12560 , Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology
Material
Nearly complete skeleton, less than 34 cm in length.
Horizon
Dawangzhangzi Member, Yixian Formation, Barremian, Early Cretaceous , 125.8–121.4 million years ago
Locality
Wangjiagou, Liaoning, China

Notable specimens

  • XHPM-1206

    Xinghai Paleontological Museum of Dalian gut contents

    Nearly complete skeleton from the Jianshangou Bed whose ribcage preserves fish, interpreted by Ji and colleagues as gut contents supporting a controversial carnivorous, semiaquatic interpretation. It shows five manual digits rather than four, unlike the holotype.

    Ji et al. (2016)

  • PMOL-AD00105

    Paleontological Museum of Liaoning range extension

    Nearly complete, associated skeleton from the Jiufotang Formation, the only record of the genus from that formation. Its occurrence supports a wide paleogeographic and stratigraphic distribution for Liaoningosaurus in western Liaoning, extending the taxon beyond the underlying Yixian Formation.

    Zhou et al. (2022)

  • GPMA-12-045

    Geological and Paleontological Museum of Anhui largest individual

    The largest known specimen of Liaoningosaurus, with a total body length under 45 cm and a skull-sacral length of 21 cm. It establishes the upper end of the size range documented for the taxon, all of whose known individuals are small.

    Ji et al. (2016)

References

  1. Xu, X.; Wang, X. L.; You, H. L. (2001). A juvenile ankylosaur from China. Naturwissenschaften 88(7): 297-300. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi:10.1007/s001140100233 xu2001a
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Ornithischians. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the mass estimate, and the appearance features.

    jones2026a
  3. Ji, Q.; Wu, X.; Cheng, Y.; Ten, F.; Ji, Y. (2016). Fish-hunting ankylosaurs (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) from the Cretaceous of China. Journal of Geology 40(2): 183-190. doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-3636.2016.02.183 ji2016a
  4. Zhou, C. F.; Liu, Q.; Wang, X.; Zhang, H. (2022). First discovery of ankylosaurian fossil from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Jianchang, western Liaoning. Journal of Shandong University of Science and Technology (Natural Science) 41(3): 1-7. doi:10.16452/j.cnki.sdkjzk.2022.03.001 zhou2022a
  5. Arbour, V. M.; Currie, P. J. (2015). Systematics, phylogeny and palaeobiogeography of the ankylosaurid dinosaurs. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 14(5): 385-444. Informa UK Limited. doi:10.1080/14772019.2015.1059985

    Places the holotype in the Dawangzhangzi Bed.

    arbour2015a