PBDB Taxon

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Saichania chulsanensis

Reptilia - Ankylosauridae

Taxonomy

Saichania chulsanensis was named by Maryanska (1977). Its type specimen is GI SPS 100/151, a partial skeleton (complete skull and both mandibles, seven cervical vertebrae (including fused atlas and axis), 10 dorsal vertebrae, ribs, sternum, both scapulocoracoids, humerus), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Khulsan, Northern Cliffs, site 11 [PMPE], which is in a Campanian/Campanian terrestrial sandstone in the Baruungoyot Formation of Mongolia. It was considered monophyletic by Vickaryous et al. (2004).

Synonyms

Shanxia tianzhenensis was named by Barrett et al. (1998). Its type specimen is IVPP V11276, a partial skeleton (fragmentary skull (skull roof, ?quadratojugal, braincase, occiput), axis, five additional cervicals, three dorsals, four caudals, right humerus, fragment of ?il), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Wujiashan Quarry, which is in a Cenomanian/Campanian terrestrial siltstone/sandstone in the Huiquanpu Formation of China. It is the type species of Shanxia.

It was synonymized subjectively with Tianzhenosaurus youngi by Lü et al. (2007); it was considered a nomen dubium by Sullivan (2000); it was considered a nomen dubium by Carpenter (2001), Vickaryous et al. (2004) and Carpenter et al. (2011); it was synonymized subjectively with Saichania chulsanensis by Arbour and Currie (2016).
Tianzhenosaurus youngi was named by Pang and Cheng (1998). Its type specimen is HBV-10001, a skull (nearly complete skull), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Kangdailiang Quarry, Zhaojiagou, which is in a Cenomanian/Campanian fluvial mudstone in the Huiquanpu Formation of China. It was considered monophyletic by Vickaryous et al. (2004).

It was synonymized subjectively with Saichania chulsanensis by Carpenter (2001) and Arbour and Currie (2016).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1977	Saichania chulsanensis Gradzinski et al. p. 302
1977	Saichania chulsanensis Maryanska p. 103 figs. Pl. 28-36; Figs. 4-8, 11
1981	Saichania chulsanensis Olshevsky p. 39
1987	Saichania chulsanensis Tumanova p. 21
1997	Saichania chulsanensis Barsbold p. 450
1997	Saichania chulsanensis Osmólska p. 41
1998	Shanxia tianzhenensis Barrett et al. p. 376
1998	Tianzhenosaurus youngi Pang and Cheng pp. 326-327 figs. 1-4
2000	Saichania chulsanensis Ford p. 176
2000	Shanxia tianzhenensis Ford p. 176
2000	Tianzhenosaurus youngi Ford p. 176
2000	Saichania chulsanensis Tumanova p. 527
2000	Shanxia tianzhenensis Upchurch and Barrett pp. 216-217
2000	Tianzhenosaurus youngi Upchurch and Barrett pp. 216-217
2001	Saichania chulsanensis Barrett p. 40 fig. 2.8
2001	Saichania chulsanensis Carpenter p. 457
2001	Shanxia tianzhenensis Vickaryous et al. p. 1774
2004	Saichania chulsanensis Vickaryous et al. p. 364
2004	Tianzhenosaurus youngi Vickaryous et al. p. 364
2006	Saichania chulsanensis Sullivan and Fowler p. 259
2007	Saichania chulsanensis Arbour p. 41A
2007	Tianzhenosaurus youngi Lü et al. p. 885
2007	Saichania chulsanensis Lü et al. p. 887
2009	Tianzhenosaurus youngi Parsons and Parsons p. 726
2010	Saichania chulsanensis Longrich et al. p. 955
2011	Saichania chulsanensis Carpenter et al. p. 6
2011	Tianzhenosaurus youngi Carpenter et al. p. 6
2012	Saichania chulsanensis Arbour et al. p. 56
2013	Saichania chulsanensis Arbour and Currie p. 24
2013	Tianzhenosaurus youngi Arbour and Currie p. 29
2013	Saichania chulsanensis Kirkland et al. p. 7
2014	Saichania chulsanensis Arbour et al. p. 11 fig. 6
2014	Saichania chulsanensis Arbour et al. p. 638
2014	Tianzhenosaurus youngi Arbour et al. p. 648
2014	Saichania chulsanensis Blows p. 61 fig. 5
2014	Saichania chulsanensis Han et al. p. 14 fig. 11
2014	Shanxia tianzhenensis Han et al. p. 14 fig. 11
2014	Tianzhenosaurus youngi Penkalski p. 618
2016	Saichania chulsanensis Arbour and Currie p. 412–413
2016	Saichania chulsanensis Kineer et al. p. 42
2016	Shanxia tianzhenensis Xu et al. p. 68
2016	Tianzhenosaurus youngi Xu et al. p. 68
2017	Saichania chulsanensis Penkalski and Tumanova
2020	Saichania chulsanensis Czepiński p. 490

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
—	Osteichthyes	()
subclass	Sarcopterygii	()
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda
—	Reptiliomorpha
—	Anthracosauria
subclass	Amphibiosauria	Kuhn 1967
—	Cotylosauria	()
—	Amniota
—	Sauropsida
class	Reptilia
subclass	Eureptilia	()

Rank	Name	Author
—	Romeriida
—	Diapsida	()
—	Archosauromorpha	(Huene 1946)
—	Crocopoda
—	Archosauriformes	Gauthier 1986
—	Eucrocopoda
—	Archosauria	()
informal	Avemetatarsalia
—	Ornithodira
—	Dinosauromorpha
—	Dinosauriformes
—	Dinosauria	()
—	Ornithischia	()
—	Genasauria
—	Thyreophora	()
—	Ankylosauria	()
family	Ankylosauridae
subfamily	Ankylosaurinae	Nopcsa 1918
genus	Saichania
species	chulsanensis

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

†Saichania chulsanensis Maryanska 1977

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Invalid names: Shanxia tianzhenensis Barrett et al. 1998 [synonym], Tianzhenosaurus youngi Pang and Cheng 1998 [synonym]

Diagnosis

Reference	Diagnosis
T. A. Tumanova 1987	Premaxillary bones partially covered by osteoderms descending from nasal bones.
K. Carpenter et al. 2011	Medium-sized ankylosaurid. Cranial: skull surface ornamentation of large protuberances; squamosal horn core large and triangular, contacts quadratojugal horn core in occipital view; large, ridge-like, overhanging supraorbitals; external nares laterally flaring; deeply recessed nasal vestibule pierced by multiple sinus foramina; orbit located about mid-point of skull; paroccipital process L-shaped in vertical cross-section, with dorsal half perpendicular to skull roof, ventral half angled anteroventrally; quadrate head coossified with paroccipital process; tooth rows divergent posteriorly only; premaxillary beak nearly equal-dimensional. Postcranial: cervical neural arches X-shaped in dorsal view, neural spines low; dorsal centra long and low, with prominent pleurofossa; sacrals not grooved ventrally; femoral shaft slender, with prominent greater trochanter; cervical armor of large, posteriorly projecting, triangular osteoderms; lateral body osteoderms sub-rectangular; tail dub not larger than lateral caudal osteoderms.
V. M. Arbour et al. 2014	Ankylosaurine ankylosaurid with bulbous cranial or- namentation. Uniquely amongst ankylosaurines, has one flat internarial caputegulum; one opening for cranial nerves IX−XII; fused atlas and axis forming a syncervical; proximally wide humerus (proximal width 70% total humerus length); intercostal ossifications present (may also be present in MPC 100/1305); and cervical half rings composed of the underlying band, primary osteoderms, and co-ossified interstitial osteoderms completely obscuring the band in external view.
V. M. Arbour and P. J. Currie 2016	Ankylosaurine ankylosaurid with bulbous cranial ornamentation. Uniquely amongst ankylosaurines, has fused atlas and axis forming a syncervical; proximally wide humerus (proximal width 70% total humerus length); intercostal ossifications present (may also be present in MPC 100/1305); and cervical half rings composed of the underlying band, primary osteoderms, and co-ossified interstitial osteoderms completely obscuring the band in external view. Supranarial caputegulae separated by one flat internarial caputegulum (unlike Tarchia kielanae, which has four bulbous internarial caputegulae), less broadly flaring than in Tarchia kielanae and rugose (not smooth as in Tarchia kielanae). Single large loreal caputegulum and single large lacrimal caputegulum, unlike numerous small lacrimal and loreal caputegulae in Tarchia kielanae and Zaraapelta nomadis. Prefrontal caputegulum smaller, less laterally projecting than in Tarchia kielanae and Zaraapelta nomadis. Lateral edges of anterior and posterior supraorbitals continuous, not distinct peaks as in Tarchia kielanae and Zaraapelta nomadis. No accessory postorbital ossification as in Tarchia kielanae. Squamosal horns pyramidal, and larger and broader than in Tarchia kielanae. Squamosal horn has uniform texture, unlike bi-layered texture in Zaraapelta nomadis. Mandibular caputegulum about half the length of the mandible, anteroposteriorly shorter than in Tarchia kielanae.

Measurements

No measurements are available

Composition:

hydroxyapatiteo

Entire body:

yesg

Adult length:

10 to < 100o

Adult width:

1.0 to < 10o

Adult height:

1.0 to < 10o

Architecture:

compact or denseo

Ontogeny:

accretion, modification of partso

Grouping:

gregariouso

Environment:

terrestrialo

Locomotion:

actively mobileo

Life habit:

ground dwellingo

Diet:

herbivoreo

Reproduction:

oviparouso

Dispersal:

direct/internalo

Dispersal 2:

mobileo

Created:

2005-08-25 06:06:33

Modified:

2005-08-25 08:06:33

Source: g = genus, o = order

References: Peczkis 1995, Marsh 1875

Age range: base of the Middle Campanian to the top of the Campanian or 83.50000 to 72.10000 Ma

Collections (5 total)

Time interval	Ma	Country or state	Original ID and collection number
Cenomanian - Campanian	100.5 - 72.1	China (Shanxi)	Ankylosauridae indet. (45408) Shanxia tianzhenensis (51907)
Middle Campanian - Late/Upper Campanian	83.5 - 70.6	Mongolia (Omnogov)	Ankylosauridae indet. (28243 type locality: 181420) Saichania chulsanensis (11582)