Wannanosaurus

Wannan lizard

• Wannan · Chinese · southern Anhui Province, China
• sauros · Greek · lizard

The name means "Wannan lizard". Wannan is the Chinese name for southern Anhui Province, where the fossils were found. It was combined with the Greek word for lizard, following the usual convention for dinosaur names. The type species, W. yangi, honours the Chinese palaeontologist Yang Zhongjian (C.C. Young).

Named by

Hou

Year named

1977

Period

Late Cretaceous

Stage

Campanian

Found in

Xiaoyan Formation, Anhui Province, China

A small, early-branching pachycephalosaur (bone-headed dinosaur). It is known from a partial skull and some skeletal remains, which probably came from a young or subadult individual. Its skull roof was flattened rather than domed. The exact age is uncertain, and Campanian is the usual estimate.