Xingtianosaurus

Xingtianosaurus is an extinct genus of oviraptorosaurian theropod dinosaur that lived in what is now China during the Early Cretaceous. The type and only species, X. ganqi, was named and described in 2019.^[1] It was placed in the Caudipteridae, alongside Caudipteryx and Similicaudipteryx.^[2][3][4]

Xingtianosaurus Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, 125 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Holotype specimen, photograph (left) and line drawing (right)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Clade:	Dinosauria
Clade:	Saurischia
Clade:	Theropoda
Family:	†Caudipteridae
Genus:	†Xingtianosaurus Qiu et al., 2019
Type species
†Xingtianosaurus ganqi Qiu et al., 2019

Discovery and naming

The holotype specimen of Xingtianosaurus ganqi, IVPP V13390, was recovered in the Dakangpu Beds of the Yixian Formation in Liaoning Province, China.^[1] The name Xingtianosaurus refers to Xingtian, a Chinese deity who continued to fight after being decapitated. This name references the skull-less holotype. The epithet ganqi refers to the weapon, a battle axe, that Xingtian wielded.^[1]

Description

The holotype specimen is almost complete, missing only the skull, several vertebrae and the coracoids.^[1]