Sinocephale fossil map
Where fossils of Sinocephale have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 75 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 75 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 | Horned & dome-headed dinosaurs |
|---|---|
| Lived | 83.6–66 million years ago (Campanian to Maastrichtian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous |
| Family | Pachycephalosauridae |
| Named by | Evans et al. 2021 |
| Fossil records | 1 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | China |
| Rock formations | Ulansuhai |
About Sinocephale
Sinocephale (meaning 'Chinese head') is a genus of pachycephalosaurid dinosaur that lived in what is now Inner Mongolia, China, during the Cretaceous period. The genus contains a single species, Sinocephale bexelli, which was originally named as a species of the genus Troodon in 1953, and later transferred to the genus Stegoceras in 1964. After decades of being considered dubious, it was re-evaluated in 2021 and recognised as a valid taxon, being given its own genus, Sinocephale. The original holotype was lost, with modern research conducted using rediscovered plaster casts.
Scant material makes for limited knowledge of its life appearance, but it is distinguished by an embayment on the back of the domed skull, which would give it a heart shape as seen from above. It is a member of the subfamily Pachycephalosaurinae, related to animals such as Pachycephalosaurus and Prenocephale. The geologic context of the species has historically been unclear, but it is currently thought to originate in rocks belonging to the Ulansuhai Formation.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Sinocephale (revision 1369049511), 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: Q108686046.
