Heishansaurus Facts
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 1.5m |
| Length | 4m |
| Weight | 2 tonnes |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Late Cretaceous |
| Type | Ankylosaur |
| Location | China |

| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 1.5m |
| Length | 4m |
| Weight | 2 tonnes |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Late Cretaceous |
| Type | Ankylosaur |
| Location | China |
Heishansaurus is a dubious genus of armoured ankylosaur dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 83.6 million years ago. Named after the Heishan region of Liaoning Province in northeastern China where its fragmentary remains were discovered, this prehistoric reptile represents one of the more enigmatic ankylosaurs from Asia.
Like other ankylosaurs, Heishansaurus would have been a heavily built, quadrupedal herbivore with a low-slung body protected by bony armour plating. These dinosaurs were the living tanks of their time, using their defensive adaptations to protect themselves from the fierce predators that roamed Late Cretaceous Asia. Based on comparisons with better-known ankylosaurs, Heishansaurus likely measured around 4 metres in length and stood about 1.5 metres tall at the hip.
As a herbivore, Heishansaurus would have browsed on low-growing plants, ferns, and cycads that flourished in the warm, humid climate of Late Cretaceous China. Its small head would have housed a simple digestive system adapted for processing tough plant material, whilst its broad body provided space for the large gut needed to break down fibrous vegetation.
Unfortunately, the fossil evidence for Heishansaurus is extremely limited and fragmentary, making it impossible to determine exactly what distinguished it from other ankylosaurs. This has led palaeontologists to classify it as a nomen dubium - a name of doubtful validity that cannot be properly defined based on the available remains.
Due to the fragmentary nature of the fossil remains, no distinctive features can be confidently attributed to Heishansaurus. Like other ankylosaurs, it would have possessed bony armour plating across its back and sides, but the specific arrangement and shape of these defensive elements remains unknown.
Based on comparisons with other ankylosaurs, Heishansaurus likely lived in small herds and spent most of its time foraging for vegetation close to the ground. When threatened, it would have relied on its heavy armour for protection rather than speed, possibly crouching down to protect its vulnerable underside.
Heishansaurus was first described by Bohlin in 1953. The original fossils were discovered at Heishan, Liaoning Province, China.