Pronunciation: shyahng-yun-loong
Meaning: Xiangyun dragon
Author/s: Hu et al. (2026)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Yunnan Province, China
Acta Ordinal: #1205
Xiangyunloong fengming
(Xiangyun Dragon, Phoenix Song)Etymology
Xiangyunloong is derived from "Xiangyun" (meaning "auspicious clouds"), the county in which the holotype specimen was discovered, and the Pinyin "loong" (dragon). The species epithet, fengming (meaning "phoenix singing") echoes the town of Luming (meaning "deer calling"), as a reminder that birds are living dinosaurs. Additionally, fengming was the original name of Lin Fengmian, the artistic master and founding president of China's Academy of Art.
Discovery
The remains of Xiangyunloong were discovered in the First Member of the Fengjiahe Formation in Luming Town, Xiangyun County, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province, China, roughly 200 km west of the famous Lufeng dinosaur fossil sites, by staff of the Yunnan Institute of Geological Survey and the Bureau of Natural Resources of Lufeng County.
The holotype (YDDY 10001-10041) is a partial skeleton including three neck, five back and fifteen tail vertebrae, several rib fragments, nearly a dozen chevrons, and two bones from the pelvic girdle.
Preparators
Liu-Rong Zhu, Shu-Kai Yue and Shu-Yong Yue.
