DinoDex
Large grey tyrannosauroid covered in shaggy filament-like feathers, in side view
Life reconstruction of the feathered tyrannosauroid Yutyrannus huali (Tom Parker, 2016).Image credit: Tomopteryx, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (unmodified except resizing)CC BY-SA 4.0 (unmodified)Source (opens in a new tab)

Yutyrannus huali

Pronounced YOO-tie-RAN-us hoo-AH-lee

Coelurosauria

A large early tyrannosauroid from the Early Cretaceous of Liaoning, China, covered in long filament-like feathers. At about a tonne and a half it is the largest dinosaur with direct evidence of feathers.

  • Feathered
  • Bipedal
  • Giant
  • Exceptional preservation
Compare
Period
Cretaceous· Barremian
Diet
Carnivore
Length
9 m
Mass
1,410 kg
Location
Liaoning, China, Asia

Quick answers

How big was Yutyrannus huali?
Yutyrannus huali was about 9 m long. It stood about 1.9–2.3 m tall at the hips. It weighed about 1.4 t. (Wikipedia: Yutyrannus 2026; Paul 2016)
When did Yutyrannus huali live?
Yutyrannus huali lived during the Early Cretaceous, about 125.8–119.6 million years ago. (Paleobiology Database: Yutyrannus occurrences 2026)
Where have Yutyrannus huali fossils been found?
Fossils of Yutyrannus huali have been found in Yixian Formation (Liaoning) and China. (Xu et al. 2012; Paleobiology Database: Yutyrannus occurrences 2026)
What did Yutyrannus huali eat?
Yutyrannus huali was a carnivore. (Xu et al. 2012; Paleobiology Database: Yutyrannus occurrences 2026)
Who named Yutyrannus huali, and when?
Yutyrannus huali was described by Xu Xing et al. in 2012. (Xu et al. 2012; Paleobiology Database: Yutyrannus occurrences 2026)

On this page

YOO-tie-RAN-us hoo-AH-lee

Period
Cretaceous125.8–119.6 Ma
Diet
Carnivore
Length
9 m
Mass
1.4 t
Location
China, Asia
Classification
Coelurosauria
Described
2012, Xu Xing et al.

Overview

Yutyrannus huali lived in north-eastern China in the Early Cretaceous, in the Yixian Formation of Liaoning. Xu Xing and colleagues named it in 2012 from three nearly complete skeletons of two growth stages, said to come from a quarry near Batuyingzi, Beipiao.

It was a primitive relative of Tyrannosaurus, with a skull like later tyrannosauroids but three fingers on each hand. All three skeletons show long, simple filamentous feathers, up to about 20 cm long, on several parts of the body.

It was the first direct evidence that a gigantic dinosaur was extensively feathered, which opened the question of whether later giant tyrannosaurs such as T. rex also had feathers. The Yixian climate is reconstructed as relatively cool, which may have favoured an insulating coat.

Name meaning

"Beautiful feathered tyrant", from Mandarin yǔ ("feather") and Greek tyrannos ("tyrant"), with huáli ("beautiful") for the plumage (Xu et al. 2012).

Biology & evidence

What scientists think about how this animal lived, and how strong the evidence for each idea is.

Feathers

  • Yutyrannus was covered in long, filament-like feathers.

    Evidence level: Direct evidence

    Feathers are preserved on several parts of all three skeletons, the first direct evidence of an extensively feathered giant dinosaur.

    Evidence for / against · 1
    Evidence for

    • Feather impression · Yutyrannus filamentous feathers

      Long filamentous feathers preserved on the three skeletons, up to about 20 cm long.

      Specimen: ZCDM V5000

Metabolism

  • The feathers of Yutyrannus helped it keep warm in a cool climate.

    Evidence level: Hypothesis

    The Yixian climate is reconstructed as relatively cool; insulation is one possible function of the feathers, display is another.

    Evidence for / against · 1
    Evidence for

    • Feather impression · Yutyrannus filamentous feathers

      Long filamentous feathers preserved on the three skeletons, up to about 20 cm long.

      Specimen: ZCDM V5000

Other

  • Yutyrannus was an early relative of the tyrannosaurids.

    Evidence level: Strong evidence

    Its skull resembles later tyrannosaurs, but its three-fingered hand and ordinary foot are primitive.

    Evidence for / against · 1
    Evidence for

    • Comparative anatomy · Yutyrannus skull and hand anatomy

      Skull features shared with derived tyrannosauroids, with a three-fingered hand like basal tyrannosauroids.

      Specimen: ZCDM V5000

Tail bones of Yutyrannus huali with impressions of long filamentous feathers.Image credit: ★Kumiko★ from Tokyo, Japan, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (unmodified except resizing)CC BY-SA 2.0 (unmodified)Source (opens in a new tab)

Size

Length
9 m

(29.5 ft)

Based on ZCDM V5000

Height
2.1 mpublished range 1.9–2.3 m

(6.9 ft)

Based on ZCDM V5000 (femur c. 0.85 m)

Mass
1,410 kg

Based on ZCDM V5000

Yutyrannus huali was about 9 m (29.5 ft) long, roughly 5 times the height of a 1.8 m adult human.

Timeline

Lived from about 125.8 to 119.6 million years ago (Ma), within the Mesozoic era (252–66 Ma).

Periods: Barremian (125.8–121.4 Ma), Aptian (121.4–113 Ma), Early Cretaceous (145–100.5 Ma)

Late Barremian-early Aptian bounds of the type collection in PBDB.

Location

Formations

Map data: Natural Earth (public domain). Modern positions, not where the continents were then.

These are the places where fossils have been found, not the full area where the animal lived.

Ecosystem

A family of Yutyrannus hunting a subadult Dongbeititan in the snowy Early Cretaceous of the Yixian Formation.Image credit: PaleoEquii, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (unmodified except resizing)CC BY-SA 4.0 (unmodified)Source (opens in a new tab)

Lived in: Jehol Biota

135–121 million years ago · lake, swamp / wetland, forest

Early Cretaceous wetlands and lakes of north-eastern China with seasonal rainfall and frequent volcanic eruptions; ash falls into anoxic lakes preserved feathers and soft tissue.

Same ecosystem

Microraptor zhaoianus

Cretaceous· AptianCarnivorePiscivore

Classification

  1. cladeDinosauria
  2. cladeSaurischia
  3. cladeTheropoda
  4. cladeCoelurosauria
  5. superfamilyTyrannosauroidea
  6. genusYutyrannus
  7. speciesYutyrannus huali

Taxonomic status: Valid

Fossil record

Yutyrannus huali skeleton preserved on slabs, exhibited in Japan.Image credit: ★Kumiko★ from Tokyo, Japan, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (unmodified except resizing)CC BY-SA 2.0 (unmodified)Source (opens in a new tab)
Specimens
Catalog numberStatusInstitutionFound
ZCDM V5000HolotypeZhucheng Dinosaur Museum (ZCDM)—

What has been found

Holotype: ZCDM V5000

  • Preserved
  • Partial
  • Reconstructed
  • Unknown / not recorded
Region by region (table)
Skeleton regions of Holotype: ZCDM V5000
RegionState
SkullPreserved
MandibleUnknown / not recorded
TeethUnknown / not recorded
Cervical vertebraeUnknown / not recorded
Dorsal vertebraeUnknown / not recorded
SacrumUnknown / not recorded
Caudal vertebraeUnknown / not recorded
RibsUnknown / not recorded
GastraliaUnknown / not recorded
Scapula / shoulder girdleUnknown / not recorded
HumerusUnknown / not recorded
Forearm (radius / ulna)Unknown / not recorded
Hand (manus)Unknown / not recorded
PelvisUnknown / not recorded
FemurUnknown / not recorded
Tibia / fibulaUnknown / not recorded
Foot (pes)Unknown / not recorded

All specimens

Discovery

Year described
2012
Described by
Xu Xing et al.
Type specimen
ZCDM V5000

Discovery timeline

  1. 2012 · Formally described

    Xu et al. name Yutyrannus huali

    A gigantic feathered tyrannosauroid is described in Nature from three skeletons.

    People: Xu Xing

Sources

  1. (2026). Paleobiology Database: Yutyrannus occurrences. The Paleobiology Database (paleobiodb.org), data service 1.2, accessed 2026-09-23. https://paleobiodb.org/data1.2/occs/list.txt?base_name=Yutyrannus&show=coords,paleoloc,strat,loc,ref&pgm=gplates (opens in a new tab)
  2. (2026). Wikipedia: Yutyrannus. Wikipedia (English), accessed 2026-09-23. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yutyrannus (opens in a new tab)
  3. Paul, G. S. (2016). The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs (2nd edition). Princeton University Press.
  4. Xu, X., Wang, K., Zhang, K., Ma, Q., Xing, L., Sullivan, C., Hu, D., Cheng, S. & Wang, S. (2012). A gigantic feathered dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of China. Nature 484: 92-95. doi:10.1038/nature10906 (opens in a new tab)