Open Paleo

Lingyuanosaurus

Yao et al., 2019 ling-YWEN-oh-SAWR-us

Named for the county-level city of Lingyuan in Liaoning Province, China, where it was discovered, combined with Ancient Greek 'sauros' meaning 'lizard'; the specific name sihedangensis also references the discovery locality, the town of Sihedang.

125.8–113.2 million years ago Barremian–Aptian, Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous stages

Lingyuanosaurus is a genus of therizinosaurian theropod from the Early Cretaceous of Liaoning Province, China. The type and only species is L. sihedangensis. It was uncovered within one of the formations that make up the Jehol biota, although the exact geological formation — and therefore also its precise geological age — is unknown.

Diagnosis

  1. Posterior dorsal vertebrae with prominent paradiapophyseal lamina separating anterior and posterior infradiapophysial fossae
  2. Hyposphene with ventral expansion forming intumescence extending as far as postzygapophysis posteriorly and beyond laterally
  3. Centroprezygapophyseal lamina extending anteriorly considerably beyond level of prezygapophysis and fusing with opposite lamina along midline
  4. Ilium with dorsal margin strongly convex but posterior part distinctly concave
  5. Sub-triangular fossa immediately dorsal to pubic peduncle on medial surface of ilium

Species

Lingyuanosaurus sihedangensis Yao et al., 2019

Type species

Named for Sihedang, the town near the type locality in Liaoning Province, China.

Holotype
IVPP V23589 , Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology
Material
Partial skeleton
Horizon
Jehol Group, Barremian–Aptian, Early Cretaceous , 125.8–113.2 million years ago
Locality
Sihedang, Lingyuan, Liaoning, China

References

  1. Yao, X.; Liao, C. C.; Sullivan, C.; Xu, X. (2019). A new transitional therizinosaurian theropod from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota of China. Scientific Reports 9(5026): 5026:1-12. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-41560-z

    Named Lingyuanosaurus and recovered it within Therizinosauroidea, more derived than Beipiaosaurus, with low support.

    yao2019a
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Theropods. Princeton University Press.

    Places Lingyuanosaurus after Beipiaosaurus among early therizinosaurs.

    jones2026c
  3. Kobayashi, Y.; Takasaki, R.; Fiorillo, A. R.; Chinzorig, T.; Hikida, Y. (2022). New therizinosaurid dinosaur from the marine Osoushinai Formation (Upper Cretaceous, Japan) provides insight for function and evolution of therizinosaur claws. Scientific Reports 12(1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-11063-5

    Recovered Lingyuanosaurus more derived than Beipiaosaurus, as in Yao and colleagues (2019).

    kobayashi2022a
  4. Liao, C. C.; Freimuth, W. J.; Zanno, L. E.; Xu, X. (2026). A new therizinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota and ecomorphological patterns among early therizinosaurians. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 24(2): 2710287. Informa UK Limited. doi:10.1080/14772019.2026.2710287

    Recovered Lingyuanosaurus within Therizinosauroidea, more derived than Beipiaosaurus.

    liao2026a