A team of archaeologists and paleontologists at the Jiangxi Provincial Museum, working with colleagues from Yunnan University, all in China, has found that the unearthed skeletal remains of an ankylosaurid dinosaur uncovered in 1986 at a dig site at the Tangbian Formation near the village of Longxi in Jiangxi province in a southern part of China represent a new species.

In their paper published in the journal Historical Biology, the group describes where the remains were uncovered, their condition and what they found as they analyzed the skeletal structure.

Ankylosaurid dinosaurs had a unique look—their low-slung bodies were covered with parasagittal rows of osteoderms, giving them a waffle-like look. They were quadrupeds with heavily armored heads and medium-length tails, some of which were clubbed. They grew to an average length of 6 meters and stood approximately 1.5 meters tall. They are presumed to have been muscular to support their massive weight. Prior research has shown that they lived in what is now North America and Asia, with most found in the northern parts of China and Mongolia.

In this new effort, the researchers examined the remains of a fossil that had been stored for nearly 40 years. Upon inspection, they found it to be an adult male from approximately 72 to 84 million years ago. The team describes the specimen as “relatively complete”—it consisted of a partial articulated skeleton, minus the skull and mandible. They also found that it was a unique species—they gave it the name Huaxiazhoulong shouwen. It is the second ankylosaurid species discovered in the province.

The dig site where the fossil was found has proved to be a treasure trove of dinosaur bones and eggs—the deposits at the site are a stratum of red mudstones and sandstones, which made for nearly ideal conditions for preserving ancient skeletons.

The research team suggests their finding widens the diversity of the dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous living in what is now China. They further suggest that by adding to the family tree, the new species clarifies the evolutionary history of dinosaurs of its type in the region.