Tianzhenosaurus

Tienzhenosaurus
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous
Mounted skeleton
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Dinosauria
Order: Ornithischia
Family: Ankylosauridae
Subfamily: Ankylosaurinae
Genus: Tianzhenosaurus
Pang & Cheng, 1998
Species: T. youngi
Binomial name
Tianzhenosaurus youngi
Pang & Cheng, 1998

Tianzhenosaurus (Tianzhen + Greek sauros="lizard") is a genus of ankylosaurid dinosaur discovered in Tianzhen County, at Kangdailiang near Zhaojiagou Village, in Shanxi Province, China, in the Late Cretaceous Huiquanpu Formation. Thus far, a virtually complete skull and postcranial skeleton have been assigned to the genus, which is monotypic (T. youngi Pang & Cheng, 1998).

Close up of skull

This was a medium-sized ankylosaurian, the skull measuring 28 centimetres (11 in) in length, with a total body length of approximately 4 metres (13 ft).

Vickaryous et al. (2004) placed Tianzhenosaurus within the Ankylosauridae, nested as the sister group to Pinacosaurus. Some authors have suggested that Tianzhenosaurus is actually a junior synonym of Saichania chulsanensis.

See also

Sources

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