Dinosaur genus

Pinacosaurus

Gilmore 1933

Pinacosaurus is a dinosaur genus known from bones, found in rocks 143.1–66 million years old, in Mongolia and China.

Confidence labels

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Confidence labels are switched off. Facts with low confidence, or where sources disagree, still carry a small dot: tap it for the reason.

At a glance

Data as of 12 October 2026

143.1–66 Ma

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114366

The last non-bird dinosaurs died out 66 million years ago. That's as far from us as the end of this bar.

Named by: Gilmore 1933
high
high: PBDB and Wikidata agree.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Described in: C. W. Gilmore (1933). Two new dinosaurian reptiles from Mongolia with notes on some fragmentary specimens. American Museum Novitates 679: 1–20.
high
high: PBDB gives this publication for the name; its author and year match the naming authority (Gilmore 1933), on which PBDB and Wikidata agree.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. The publication the Paleobiology Database gives as the authority for this genus name, usually the one that first named and described it.
Lived: Coniacian to Campanian, 89.8–72.2 million years ago
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Omnisaura calculation143.1–66 million years ago, from its dated fossil records
medium
medium: Omnisaura's calculation from 22 confirmed PBDB records.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Fossils found in: China
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (7 records).
Mongolia
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (15 records).
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: Union of all sources (ISO 3166).
Rock formations: Baruungoyot
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
Bayan Mandahu
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (5 records).
Djadokhta
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (11 records).
Alagteeg
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Wulansuhai
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Öösh
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
mixed
mixed: Levels differ between entries; each has its own.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: Canonical names, automatic and editor-approved matches applied.
Family: Ankylosauridae
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Parent group: Ankylosaurinae
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Known from: Bones
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database (what the name was based on).

Sources: Omnisaura editorial (Omnisaura editorial content (© Future Sailors, all rights reserved)), Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0), Natural History Museum Data Portal (CC0 1.0), Wikidata (CC0 1.0)Confidence levels and gaps are Omnisaura's own assessment.

Gaps are answers

What isn't known yet

Type species: no source we use gives it yet.
Order: no source we use gives it yet.
Common names: no source we use gives it yet.
What it was named after: no source we use gives it yet.
Held back: 2 fossil records left out: identified only tentatively (for example "cf." or "?").
Resting on one source: 3 facts come from a single source with nothing against them (rated medium): parent group (PBDB); family (PBDB); age (headline) (PBDB).

Size, diet and behaviour aren't covered yet. Omnisaura leaves them out rather than guess.

Where sources disagree

None open. Where our sources overlap, they agree on everything shown here.

Did it meet…?

Did Pinacosaurus meet ?

Same time, different places. Their fossils overlap in age, 83.6 to 66 million years ago, but no rock formation holds both.

Going by the ages and rock formations of their dated fossils, as on the map. Compare their fossil sites on the map.

Lived alongside

Genera found in the same rock formations, from rocks of the same age.

Protoceratops Velociraptor Bagaceratops Protoceratopsidovum Elongatoolithus Faveoloolithus Coralloidoolithus Dendroolithus Prismatoolithus Saichania Shuvuuia Spheroolithus Avimimus Byronosaurus Citipati Conchoraptorand 23 more

Same family

Other genera in Ankylosauridae with a full profile.

Ahshislepelta Akainacephalus Aletopelta Ankylosaurus Anodontosaurus Bissektipelta Cedarpelta Chuanqilong Crichtonpelta Eopinacosaurus Euoplocephalus Gobisaurus Nodocephalosaurus Oohkotokia Platypelta Ruopodosaurusand 6 more

Where its fossils were found

15 fossil sites, with present-day and ancient positions

Open the map at this time

Cite this page

Omnisaura (2026). Pinacosaurus. Future Sailors. https://www.omnisaura.com/genera/pinacosaurus. Data as of 12 October 2026.

What's changed

No changes since the change log started (11 Oct 2026).

Every change to Omnisaura

Use this data

Download this genus as JSON With every source and licence attached. Spotted a problem? Tell us

Pictures

2 openly licensed pictures of Pinacosaurus on Wikimedia Commons and museum sites, each with its own author and licence.

Eopinacosaurus.jpg
Kabacchi, CC BY 2.0
Pinacosaurus.JPG
Laikayiu, CC BY-SA 3.0

Credits

Where this page comes from

Paleobiology DatabaseCC BY 4.0 · fossil records, ages, classification
Natural History Museum Data PortalCC0 1.0 · catalogued specimens
WikidataCC0 1.0 · names and identifiers
OmnisauraOmnisaura editorial · confidence levels and gaps
PaleoMAP PaleoCoastlines (Kocsis and Scotese 2021)CC BY 4.0 · ancient coastlines on the small map
Natural EarthPublic domain · today's coastlines

Pictures linked from this page are credited beside each one, with their own licences; the full list is in the JSON download.