Zhongyuansaurus

Central Plains lizard

• Zhongyuan · Chinese · Central Plains (a historical region of China including Henan)
• saurus · Greek · lizard

The name combines "Zhongyuan", the Chinese name for the Central Plains region, with the Greek word for lizard. The Central Plains region includes Henan Province, where the fossil was found. The name therefore means "lizard from the Central Plains". The type species is Zhongyuansaurus luoyangensis, named after the city of Luoyang.

Named by

Xu et al.

Year named

2007

Period

Early Cretaceous

Found in

Haoling Formation, Ruyang County, Luoyang, Henan Province, China

An ankylosaurid (armoured dinosaur) known from a partial skull and some skeletal remains. Its exact relationships and validity have been discussed, and some researchers have suggested it is close to or the same as other Chinese ankylosaurs.