Beibeilong fossil map
Where fossils of Beibeilong have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 100 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 100 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Theropods |
|---|---|
| Lived | 100.5–89.8 million years ago (Cenomanian to Turonian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous |
| Family | Caenagnathidae |
| Named by | Pu et al. 2017 |
| Fossil records | 1 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | China |
| Rock formations | Gaogou |
About Beibeilong
Beibeilong (Chinese: 贝贝龙, transl. baby dragon) is a genus of large caenagnathid dinosaurs that lived in China during the Late Cretaceous epoch, about 96 million to 88 million years ago. The genus contains a single species, Beibeilong sinensis. The species was named and described in 2017 through analysis of an embryonic skeleton (nicknamed Baby Louie) and partial nest with large eggs that were discovered in the Gaogou Formation of China (Henan Province) between 1992 and 1993.
Beibeilong was a notably large caenagnathid and among the largest oviraptorosaurs, estimated at 7.5 m (25 ft) long (extrapolated from the large embryo and eggs) with a ponderous weight of about 1.5–2 metric tons (1.7–2.2 short tons), based on comparisons with the closely related Gigantoraptor. Its jaws—in a similar fashion to most other oviraptorosaurs—were toothless and developed a horny beak (also known as rhamphotheca). Most of the anatomical traits of Beibeilong are consistent with caenagnathids rather than oviraptorids, another diverse oviraptorosaur family. Within Caenagnathidae it occupies a basal (primitive) position.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Beibeilong (revision 1377207671), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q29877274.
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