Jianchangosaurus
- Lived
- 126 to 120 million years ago, Early Cretaceous
- Diet
- Herbivore
- Group
- Theropods
- Found in
- China
- Named by
- Pu et al. 2013
Where its fossils were found
The evidence
Today
125 million years ago
Habitat
It lived in the lake region preserved by the Yixian Formation in China. Beipiaosaurus, Psittacosaurus and Yutyrannus also lived in this region.
Field notes
About Jianchangosaurus
What it was like
Jianchangosaurus was an early therizinosaur, a feathered theropod that probably ate plants. Its skeleton, from a young animal, is almost complete and shows traces of simple feathers.
Its world
It lived in the Early Cretaceous, in what is now China. It comes from the Yixian Formation, where it shared the land with the related Beipiaosaurus, the tyrannosaurs Yutyrannus and Dilong, and the plant eater Psittacosaurus.
How it was found
Pu and colleagues named Jianchangosaurus in 2013.
Field gallery
More views of Jianchangosaurus
Scenes reconstructed from the available fossil evidence.
1 of 3
Lived alongside
Found in the same rock formations
A rock formation can hold fossils laid down millions of years apart, so not every animal here met Jianchangosaurus.
The evidence
The science behind Jianchangosaurus
Which parts of the picture come from its own bones, and which come from its relatives.
From its own fossils
- A nearly complete skeleton preserves the skull, long neck, arms and legs, with the end of the tail missing.
- The front of the upper jaw was toothless, and the lower tooth row sat behind a bony shelf.
- Broad, unbranched feathers survive as dark impressions near the neck and shoulders.
Borrowed from relatives
- Most of its body shape comes from its own skeleton.
- Feathers of Beipiaosaurus guide restorations of the covering beyond its preserved feather patches.
Still unknown
- How its proportions changed as it grew into an adult.
- The shape and length of the missing tail tip.
- Its color and feather pattern.
Discovery timeline
- 2009Close relativeXu, Zheng & You
- 2013Named itPu et al.
- 2021Close relativeLiao et al.
Key papers
The research behind what we know of Jianchangosaurus
Close relative
Described broad, unbranched feathers in Beipiaosaurus, a close comparison for the feathers preserved in Jianchangosaurus.
A new feather type in a nonavian theropod and the early evolution of feathers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106: 832-834
Read the paper : A new feather type in a nonavian theropod and the early evolution of feathers (opens in a new tab)Named it
Described a nearly complete young therizinosaur with unusual teeth and preserved feathers, placing Jianchangosaurus early in the group's family tree.
An Unusual Basal Therizinosaur Dinosaur with an Ornithischian Dental Arrangement from Northeastern China. PLoS ONE 8: e63423
Read the paper : An Unusual Basal Therizinosaur Dinosaur with an Ornithischian Dental Arrangement from Northeastern China (opens in a new tab)Close relative
Detailed the body skeleton of Beipiaosaurus and compared its limbs and hips with other therizinosaurs, including Jianchangosaurus.
Postcranial osteology of Beipiaosaurus inexpectus (Theropoda: Therizinosauria). PLOS ONE 16: e0257913
Read the paper : Postcranial osteology of Beipiaosaurus inexpectus (Theropoda: Therizinosauria) (opens in a new tab)
Close relatives
Other members of Therizinosauria
Sources: Wikidata