Dinosaur fossils in China
The Paleobiology Database records 1,187 non-avian dinosaur finds in China, from 307 genera. The oldest is Jingshanosaurus xinwaensis from the Hettangian age, about 201.4 million years old. The youngest is Wannanosaurus yansiensis from the Early Maastrichtian age, as young as about 66 million years. Ages are the range the database gives for the rocks, so a find can be tens of millions of years across.
- 1,187finds
- 307genera
- 201.4oldest, million years ago
- 66youngest, million years ago
It ranks 4th of 93 countries on the map by number of finds. The most recorded dinosaurs are Psittacosaurus (42), Lufengosaurus (28) and Yunnanosaurus (17). The rock formation with the most finds is called Lufeng, with 93.
Which dinosaurs were found in China?
The genera with the most finds here:
| Dinosaur | Finds |
|---|---|
| Psittacosaurus | 42 |
| Lufengosaurus | 28 |
| Yunnanosaurus | 17 |
| Sinosaurus | 16 |
| Mamenchisaurus | 15 |
| Omeisaurus | 13 |
| Microraptor | 10 |
| Gyposaurus | 9 |
| Pinacosaurus | 8 |
| Protoceratops | 7 |
Rock formations with dinosaur finds in China
| Formation | Finds |
|---|---|
| Lufeng | 93 |
| Yixian | 78 |
| Shaximiao | 68 |
| Shishugou | 39 |
| Iren Dabasu | 38 |
| Jiaguan | 24 |
| Ziliujing | 23 |
| Jiufotang | 21 |
| Zhoutian | 20 |
| Xinlong | 19 |
Other countries to explore
See the sea floor where marine reptiles swam: oceanfloormap.com →
Before you go fossil hunting. A dot shows where a find was recorded, not where you may dig. Many fossil sites are on private or protected land and collecting rules differ by country. Check the rules before collecting and never dig on protected sites.