Lingwulong shenqi, a newly described, 174-million-year-old dinosaur, is more than just another giant herbivore to add to the fossil record. Its age and location are unexpected, and upset notions about dino diversity and distribution during the Jurassic Period.

Lingwulong’s name translates as “the amazing dragon of Lingwu,” the region in northwestern China where multiple specimens have been excavated over the past 13 years. I’ll be honest with you: If your idea of an amazing dragon is ba