Yutyrannus — artistic reconstruction

Cretaceous

Yutyrannus

Yutyrannus huali

The catalogue presents Yutyrannus as a carnivore member of Proceratosauridae that lived during the Cretaceous, between 125.0–120.0 Ma. Its estimated range is 9.0 m in length and 1.4 t in mass, giving a practical sense of scale. Reference material comes from Yixian Formation, Liaoning, China. Size and mass are approximations and may change with new fossils or methods.

Carnivore125.0–120.0 MaProceratosauridae

Evidence-backed summary

For Yutyrannus, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Xu et al. (2012).

The PBDB places it in Proceratosauridae, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Proceratosauridae.

In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range runs from the Barremian to the Aptian.

The PBDB catalogues 1 occurrence, with material from the Yixian Formation (1). Provenance: China.

The catalogue records the holotype as ZCDM V5000 and the type locality as “Yixian Formation, Liaoning, China”.

  • ZCDM V5000
  • Yixian Formation, Liaoning, China

The catalogue's reference measurements are 9.0 m in length and 1.4 t in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.

  • 9.0 m
  • 1.4 tons

The record gathers 3 bibliographic references registered in the PBDB, listed below.

Records compiled on 2026-08-08

Where it lived

Fossil occurrences on today’s map and in the tectonic reconstruction.

Present-day map1 PBDB
Yixian
PBDB occurrences
Map at the time · ~125 Ma1 PBDB
Yixian
PBDB occurrences
Present mean latitude41.5° N
Reconstructed mean latitude40.6° N

Positions reconstructed by PBDB/GPlates, not observed; this is not an exact habitat map.

Paleobiology Database · GPlates · CC BY 4.0

Artistic 3D reconstruction

There is no approved species-specific 3D model yet. Generic anatomy will not be presented as if it were evidence.

Physical Specifications

Length
9.0 m
Weight
1.4 t
Period
Cretaceous
Time range
125.0–120.0 Ma

Discovery Information

First Discovery
2012
Described by
Xu Xing

Taxonomic Classification

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Reptilia
Order
Saurischia
Family
Proceratosauridae
Genus
Yutyrannus
Species
Y. huali

Paleobiology Database · txn:230946

Data status

Taxonomic name matched to PBDB and checked on 2026-08-08.

Taxonomic linkage does not automatically validate size, mass, behaviour or appearance.

Type specimen
ZCDM V5000
Type locality
Yixian Formation, Liaoning, China