Chaoyangsaurus

Chaoyang lizard

• Chaoyang · Chinese (place name) · Chaoyang, Liaoning Province, China
• sauros · Greek · lizard

The name combines Chaoyang, the area in western Liaoning Province, China, where the fossils were found, with the Greek word for lizard. It means "Chaoyang lizard" and marks the place of discovery. The type species is Chaoyangsaurus youngi, named in honour of the Chinese palaeontologist C. C. Young (Yang Zhongjian).

Named by

Zhao, Cheng and Xu

Year named

1999

Period

Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous

Found in

Tuchengzi Formation, Chaoyang, Liaoning, China

A small, early ceratopsian (horned-dinosaur relative), one of the most basal known members of the group. The age of the Tuchengzi Formation is debated, so the dating is approximate. Some studies place it in the latest Jurassic, others in the earliest Cretaceous.