Khankhuuluu
A medium-sized tyrannosauroid from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia.
Khankhuuluu (pronounced khahn-KOO-loo, meaning "dragon prince") is a genus of early tyrannosauroid theropod that lived during the Late Cretaceous in what is now the Gobi Desert of Mongolia. Its only species, *Khankhuuluu mongoliensis*, is represented by several skull bones and two partial skeletons, which include elements from the shoulder, pelvis, hindlimbs, and vertebrae of the back and tail. The fossils were uncovered in 1972 and 1973, and initially described in 1977 as cf. *Alectrosaurus*, not definitively assigned to the species *Alectrosaurus olseni*. Over time, researchers realized the bones were distinct, and they were finally named as a new species in 2025. This dinosaur was medium-sized, with a shallow skull and long, slender legs. Its skeleton blends features seen in both earlier, more primitive tyrannosauroids and later, more advanced tyrannosaurids.
The remains come from the Bayanshiree Formation, a rock unit dating to the Turonian–Santonian ages. This formation has produced a rich array of fossils, including various theropods, ankylosaurs, marginocephalians, hadrosauroids, sauropods, as well as pterosaurs, crocodylomorphs, turtles, and fish. These animals lived in an environment shaped by meandering rivers.
**Discovery and naming**
The Khankhuuluu material was collected in 1972–1973 from the Baishin-Tsav locality of the Bayanshiree Formation in southeastern Mongolia. The specimens are now housed at the Mongolian Academy of Sciences. The first, MPC-D 100/50, includes a partial skeleton with cranial bones (the nasal, an incomplete left lacrimal, parts of both quadrates, a vomer, and parts of both ectopterygoids and pterygoids), three dorsal vertebrae and the last 17 caudal vertebrae, a furcula, the left scapulocoracoid, and the left metatarsal III. The second specimen, MPC-D 100/51, also contains cranial bones (the right postorbital, quadratojugal, and quadrate), a partial left pelvic girdle (ischium and part of the ilium), part of the right hindlimb (the proximal metatarsus and four toe bones), and part of the left hindlimb (an incomplete tibia). Mongolian paleontologist Altangerel Perle first described these fossils in 1977, referring them to cf. *Alectrosaurus*, rather than definitively assigning them to *Alectrosaurus olseni*. Notably, the Bayanshiree material was never formally assigned to that species in peer-reviewed literature.
Quick Facts
- Genus
- Khankhuuluu
- Species
- mongoliensis
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Khankhuuluu fossil material was discovered in 1972–1973 in outcrops of the Bayanshiree Formation (Baishin-Tsav locality) in southeastern Mongolia. The collected specimens are now accessioned at the Mongolian Academy of Sciences. The first specimen MPC-D 100/50, comprises a partial skeleton including cranial bones, several vertebrae, a furcula, the left scapulocoracoid, and the left metatarsal III. The second specimen, MPC-D 100/51, also includes cranial bones, a partial left pelvic girdle, part of the right hindlimb, and part of the left hindlimb. These remains were first described by Mongolian paleontologist Altangerel Perle in 1977. He referred them to cf. *Alectrosaurus*, rather than definitively assigning them to the species *Alectrosaurus olseni*. The Bayanshiree material was never formally assigned to that species in peer-reviewed literature.
In 2012
Reader's Guide
Khankhuuluu is notable as it illuminates the evolutionary patterns of tyrannosauroid dinosaurs. While some of its anatomical characteristics are more reminiscent of earlier-diverging species, many other features more closely resemble later members of the Tyrannosauridae. In profile, the skull of Khankhuuluu is shallow, comparable to juvenile tyrannosaurids and members of the Alioramini. The textured ornamentation on the skull is reduced in comparison to later species, in which these horns likely functioned as intimidation structures or mating displays. Like most eutyrannosaurians, the fused midline nasal bones are rugose and have many small bosses. The lacrimal has a rugose cornual process, another typical eutyrannosaurian feature. However, unlike tyrannosaurids, in which this horn-like process has a dorsal component, it is strictly laterally directed in Khankhuuluu. In contrast to adult tyrannosaurids, which have a prominent cornual process on the lateral surface of the postorbital, this bone is smooth in Khankhuuluu. This is more similar to juvenile tyrannosaurids and the more basal tyrannosauroid Xiongguanlong. The postacetabular process of the ilium tapers toward the back when viewed from the side, while in tyrannosaurids it is long and rectangular. This is more similar to the earlier-diverging genera Juratyrant and Stokesosaurus. The ischium has a prominent tubercle on the posterior surface and it lacks expansion on the distal end. Both of these features are more similar to eutyrannosaurians than earlier taxa.
Did You Know?
- The generic name Khankhuuluu combines Mongolian words for 'prince' and 'dragon', translating to 'Dragon Prince of Mongolia'.
- The remains were first described in 1977 as belonging to Alectrosaurus olseni, but were later recognized as a distinct genus in 2025.
- Khankhuuluu had a surprisingly high tooth count: 17 teeth in the maxilla and 18–19 in the dentary.
- The premaxillary teeth of Khankhuuluu lack denticles (serrations).
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