Pinacosaurus

Pinacosaurus grangeri · Pinacosaurus was a medium-sized, armoured ankylosaurid dinosaur that lived in what is now Mongolia and China during the Late Cretaceous.

It lived about 75 to 71 million years ago.

Pinacosaurus
Photo: DiBgd, CC BY-SA 4.0
Pinacosaurus
Photo: Jack Mayer Wood, CC BY-SA 4.0
Pinacosaurus
Photo: Morosaurus millenii, CC BY-SA 4.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassReptilia
OrderOrnithischia
FamilyAnkylosauridae
GenusPinacosaurus
SpeciesPinacosaurus grangeri

Where its fossils were found

Gobi Desert of Mongolia and Inner Mongolia, China.

Fun facts

  • At least 24 Pinacosaurus skeletons have been found, possibly more than for any other ankylosaur, and most of them are juveniles.
  • Groups of young Pinacosaurus were found huddled together, apparently killed by a sandstorm.
  • The young dinosaurs in one group all faced the same direction, suggesting a travelling herd that was buried at once by a sandstorm.
  • Pinacosaurus probably relied on a strong, muscular tongue to feed, because its teeth were small and replaced slowly.

Play it

The Pinacosaurus was the creature in the Dinosaur daily on October 15, 2026. Can you identify tomorrow's from its photos? Every day brings a new creature to place from kingdom to genus, map and name.

Play today's creature or replay a past daily

Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).