| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 0.5m |
| Length | 1.5m |
| Weight | 50 kg |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Early Cretaceous |
| Type | Ankylosaur |
| Location | China |
Chuanqilong was a small, heavily armoured ankylosaur that lived in what is now northeastern China during the Early Cretaceous period, approximately 121 million years ago. This compact herbivore represents one of the most complete juvenile ankylosaur specimens ever discovered, providing valuable insights into how these armoured dinosaurs developed from young to adult.
Measuring roughly 1.5 metres in length and standing about half a metre tall at the hip, Chuanqilong was considerably smaller than its later, more famous relatives. Its body was covered in bony plates and spikes that formed a protective shell across its back and sides. The nearly complete skeleton, including the skull, shows typical ankylosaur features such as a low-slung body, short legs, and a broad, flattened skull designed for processing plant material.
As a herbivore, Chuanqilong used its small, leaf-shaped teeth to crop and process ferns, cycads, and other Early Cretaceous vegetation. Its discovery in the Jiufotang Formation of Liaoning Province places it in an ecosystem rich with early flowering plants, primitive mammals, and various dinosaur species. The excellent preservation of the fossil, including delicate skull bones, suggests rapid burial in fine sediments.
Scientists have noted striking similarities between Chuanqilong and another Chinese ankylosaur called Liaoningosaurus, leading to ongoing debates about whether they might represent different growth stages of the same species or closely related but distinct animals.
Chuanqilong was distinguished by its small size for an ankylosaur, measuring only 1.5 metres long, and its comprehensive body armour of bony plates and spikes covering its back and sides. The juvenile specimen shows a relatively large skull compared to its body size and well-preserved dental features typical of early ankylosaurs.
Like other ankylosaurs, Chuanqilong likely spent most of its time browsing on low-growing vegetation, using its broad muzzle to strip leaves and shoots. When threatened, it probably crouched down to protect its soft underside, relying on its armoured back and spikes to deter predators.
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Ornithischia |
| Family | Ankylosauridae |
| Genus | Chuanqilong |
Chuanqilong was first described by Fenglu Han and colleagues in 2014. The original fossils were discovered at Jiufotang Formation, Liaoning Province, China.
