Qiupalong

Say it like this: “chee-OO-pah-long”

Qiupalong henanensis

Qiupalong ate plants and walked on two legs. It lived in the Late Cretaceous. Bones have been found in China.

Quiz me on Qiupalong

When: Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) · roughly 72.2 to 66 million years ago
Named in: 2011 · Xu, L.; Kobayashi, Y.; Lü, J.; Lee, Y. N.; Liu, Y.; Tanaka, K.; Zhang, X.; Jia, S.; Zhang, J.
Hip height: 0.7 m · 2 ft
Length: 2.9 m · 9 ft
Weight: 63 kg · 139 lb
Found in: China · Qiupa
Food and walking: Herbivore · Two legs
Kind: sharp-clawed runner · Theropod
Family branch: Ornithomimidae

The story in short

In 2011, L. Xu and colleagues published the name Qiupalong. The name means “dragon from the Qiupa Formation.”

Fossils referred to Qiupalong date to the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian), roughly 72.2 to 66 million years ago. Finds come from China, including the Qiupa Formation. It was a herbivore and walked on two legs.

Published estimates put Qiupalong at a length near 2.9 m, hips about 0.7 m high, and a body mass around 63 kg.

On the family tree it sits in Ornithomimidae, among the theropod dinosaurs.

Close relatives

Aepyornithomimus

Aepyornithomimus tugrikinensis

Late Cretaceous (Campanian) · roughly 83.6 to 72.2 million years ago

Anserimimus

Anserimimus planinychus

Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) · roughly 72.2 to 66 million years ago

Archaeornithomimus

Archaeornithomimus asiaticus

Late Cretaceous (Coniacian · Santonian · Campanian) · roughly 89.8 to 72.2 million years ago