Open Paleo

Nanshiungosaurus

Dong, 1979 NAHN-SHYUNG-o-SAWR-us

Named after Nanxiong (formerly romanized as Nanshiung), a city in Guangdong Province, China, where it was discovered, combined with Greek 'sauros' (lizard); meaning 'Nanxiong's lizard'.

83.6–66.0 million years ago Campanian–Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Nanshiungosaurus is a genus of therizinosaurid that lived in what is now Asia during the Late Cretaceous of South China. The type species, Nanshiungosaurus brevispinus, was first discovered in 1974 and described in 1979 by Dong Zhiming. It is represented by a single specimen preserving most of the cervical and dorsal vertebrae with the pelvis. A supposed and unlikely second species, "Nanshiungosaurus" bohlini, was found in 1992 and described in 1997. It is also represented by vertebrae but this species however, differs in geological age and lacks authentic characteristics compared to the type, making its affinity to the genus unsupported.

Diagnosis

  1. Cervical centra platycoelous anteriorly and opisthocoelous posteriorly, with undeveloped pleurocoels and low, non-bifid neural spines; cervical centra about 2.5 times the length of the dorsals
  2. Dorsal centra platycoelous and roughly as high as long, with shallow pleurocoels and low neural spines transversely broadened into a thick apex
  3. Five solidly fused sacral centra with short, fused neural spines bearing inflated, saddle-shaped apices
  4. Ilium low and elongated with a strongly developed, narrow, elongated preacetabular process and a straight, robust pubic peduncle
  5. Pubis linear with a thick lateral margin and a closed obturator foramen; ischium a thin plate with expanded, distally fused ends

Species

Nanshiungosaurus brevispinus Dong, 1979

Type species

From Latin 'brevis' meaning 'short' and 'spina' meaning 'spine', in reference to the relatively short vertebral spines of the holotype.

Holotype
IVPP V4731 , Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology
Material
Eleven cervical, ten dorsal, and five fused sacral vertebrae, one caudal, and a largely complete pelvis (lacking the right ilium and right pubis).
Horizon
Nanxiong Formation, Campanian–Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous , 83.6–66.0 million years ago
Locality
Dapingcun, Guangdong, China

References

  1. Dong, Z. (1979). Dinosaurs from the Cretaceous of South China. Mesozoic and Cenozoic Red Beds of South China: Selected Papers from the "Cretaceous-Tertiary Workshop," Nanxiong, Guangdong Province (Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology; Nanjing Institute of Paleontology, eds.) 342-350. Science Press, Beijing. dong1979a
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Theropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the hip height estimate.

    jones2026c