New Dinosaur Species Found in China

The Xingxiulong yueorum is a new dinosaur species discovered in Yunnan Province, China, belonging to the suborder Sauropoda. It was named after the Xingxiulong Bridge over the Luyi River outside the western gate of Lufeng City, which was built during the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty. The species name “yueorum” is in honor of the Yue family siblings, who contributed to the preservation of the fossil!

Discovery and Naming

The fossil of Xingxiulong yueorum was discovered in 2015 by the Lufeng Municipal Bureau of Natural Resources in Erdian Mountain, about 6 kilometers northeast of Lufeng County. Although the fossil is missing parts of its skull, mandible, part of its cervical vertebrae, and its forelimbs, it is still considered to be very complete. After years of research and analysis, paleontologists published a paper in the February 2025 issue of the journal Historical Biology, officially naming this new species of dinosaur

Fossil features

Xingxiulong yueorum is belonged to the basal type of lizard-footed dinosaurs and appeared primitive compared to the more progressive lizard-footed dinosaurs.
It had a smaller but longer-shaped head with eyes located near the top of the head on either side. In the mouth grew two rows of small, thin teeth, suitable for biting off plant branches and leaves. Unable to chew its food, the Yue’s Starcrossed Dragon will swallow food directly into its stomach, relying on its huge digestive system to digest it slowly.
Its limbs are strong, with five fingers on its front limbs but only the first three have claws, while its hind limbs are much thicker and used to support its body and move freely.
In addition, Yue’s Stellarisaurus had an elongated pubic bone, a strong femoral stem, and a lateral anterior protrusion of the ulna, traits that are also found in more progressive lizard-footed dinosaurs, and are thought to be the result of convergent evolution.

Life period and environment

Xingxiulong Yueorum lived about 195 million years ago during the Early Jurassic period in the Lufeng area of present-day Yunnan Province. Phylogenetic studies have shown that Yue’s Xingxuosaurus is closely related to Yunnanosaurus and Jinshanosaurus and is the largest of them all.

Xingxiulong Yueorum is not only scientifically important. but has also attracted widespread attention culturally. As the first dinosaur species to be named in China in 2025, Yue’s astrolophosaurus is a good start for the year’s dinosaur research, signaling that more new dinosaur species may be discovered and named in the future!