Open Paleo

Nankangia

Lü et al., 2013 nan-kan-gee-uh

Named after Nankang County (now Nankang District), Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province, China, where the specimen was found

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

Nankangia is an extinct genus of caenagnathoid oviraptorosaurian dinosaur known from the Upper Cretaceous Nanxiong Formation of Nankang County, Ganzhou City of Jiangxi Province, southeastern China. It contains a single species, Nankangia jiangxiensis. N. jiangxiensis coexisted with at least four other caenagnathoids, including but not limited to Corythoraptor, Banji, Ganzhousaurus and Jiangxisaurus. The relatively short dentary and non-downturned mandibular symphysis of Nankangia suggest that it may have been more herbivorous than carnivorous. Its diet consisted of leaves and seeds.

Diagnosis

  1. Mandibular symphysis rostral end not downturned, ventral margin of dentary nearly straight
  2. Neural spines of cranial caudal vertebrae wider transversely than anteroposteriorly, forming large posterior fossa with rugose central area
  3. Femoral neck extending dorsomedially at angle of approximately 90 degrees to shaft
  4. Femur and tibia approximately equal in length (ratio 0.95)
  5. Two infradiapophysial fossae on ventral surface near base of transverse process of dorsal vertebrae
  6. Pneumatic fossae on sacral vertebrae slit-like
  7. Large infraprezygapophysial fossa on anterior surface and infradiapophysial fossa on ventral surface of base of transverse process of cranial caudals
  8. Femur longer than ilium, shared with Yulong and Khaan
  9. Height to length ratio of ilium 0.36

Species

Nankangia jiangxiensis Lü et al., 2013

Type species

Named for Jiangxi Province, China, where the holotype site is located.

Holotype
GMNH F10003 , Gunma Museum of Natural History
Material
Partial lower jaw and partial postcranial skeleton
Horizon
Nanxiong Formation, Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous , 72.2–66.0 million years ago
Locality
Longling, Jiangxi, China

References

  1. Lü, J.; Yi, L.; Zhong, H.; Wei, X. (2013). A New Oviraptorosaur (Dinosauria: Oviraptorosauria) from the Late Cretaceous of Southern China and Its Paleoecological Implications. PLoS ONE 8(11): e80557. Public Library of Science (PLoS). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0080557 lü2013a
  2. Paul, G. S. (2024). The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs (3rd ed.). Princeton University Press.

    Source of the body length and mass estimates.

    paul2024a
  3. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Theropods. Princeton University Press.

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

    jones2026c