YNU unveils newly discovered dinosaur species

A Late Cretaceous dinosaur fossil discovered in Jiangxi province has been identified as a new ankylosaur species, Huaxiazhoulong shouwen. The groundbreaking study, jointly conducted by Yunnan University (YNU) and the Jiangxi Provincial Museum, was recently published in Historical Biology.

The restoration of Huaxiazhoulong shouwen. [Photo/WeChat account of Yunnan University]

Villagers in Guangchang county unearthed the fossil in 1986. It was carefully excavated and preserved in the Jiangxi Provincial Museum. In 2023, researchers from YNU's Center for Vertebrate Evolutionary Studies collaborated with the museum to reveal its secrets.

Measuring over six meters in length, this heavily armored herbivore roamed southeastern China 84–72 million years ago. Its distinctive features include a robust body, strong limbs, and a tail club resembling a grapefruit. Zhu Ziheng, a doctoral student from Yunnan University, explained that this tail club served as a defensive weapon, capable of delivering devastating blows to predators despite the dinosaur's plant-based diet.

Phylogenetic analysis shows Huaxiazhoulong shouwen exhibited primitive traits, such as heart-shaped anterior tail vertebrae, distinguishing it from later ankylosaurs. According to project leader and Academician Xu Xing, this discovery enriches our understanding of ankylosaur diversity in Late Cretaceous China, highlighting Yunnan University's vital role in paleontological research.