Aorun zhaoi was named by Choiniere et al. (2013). Its type specimen is IVPP V15709, a partial skeleton (Skull and partially articulated skeleton consisting of cervical, dorsal and caudal vertebrae, left ulna, left manus, distal pubes, and articulated left and righ), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Aorun zhaoi type locality, which is in a Callovian terrestrial siltstone in the Shishugou Formation of China. It is the type species of Aorun.