Bannykus wulatensis was named by
Xu et al. (2018) [Differs from other alvarezsaurians in possessing the following autapomorphies:
notch between basal tubera nearly absent; surangular foramen large; posterior dorsal vertebrae with distal ends of transverse processes strongly expanded in posterior direction; humeral internal tuberosity deflected posteriorly; well-developed facet on lateral surface of metacarpal II for articulation with metacarpal III; metacarpal III curved medially; prominent ventral heel at proximal end of manual phalanx III-1; manual phalanx III-2 with proximoventrally located tubercles on medial and lateral surfaces and two sulci bounded by three parallel condyles on distal end; manual phalanx III-3 without median vertical ridge on proximal articular surface (note that we identify the three manual digits of tetanurans as II-III-IV following some recent paleontological studies [24]); posterolateral margin of fibular condyle of tibia bears pyramidal lateral projection; and deep groove along posterior margin of proximal half of fibular crest.]. Its type specimen is IVPP V25026, a partial skeleton (Partial, semi-articulated skeleton), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is
Chaoge, Wulatehouqi, Bayan Mandahu, which is in an Aptian terrestrial horizon in the Bayangobi Formation of China.