Zavacephale rinpoche Zavacephale

"origin head"

You 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall
Zavacephale 1 m (3.3 ft) long
2 people holding hands
Length
1 m (3.3 ft)
Period
Early Cretaceous (145–100 Mya)
Place
Mongolia
Food
Herbivore
Clade
Dinosauria

Zavacephale (meaning “origin head”) is an extinct genus of pachycephalosaurian dinosaurs known from the Early Cretaceous Khuren Dukh Formation of Mongolia. The genus contains a single species, Zavacephale rinpoche, known from a partial articulated skeleton including a nearly complete skull. It is both the oldest definitive pachycephalosaur known, as well as the most complete. Its skull bears a well-developed dome structure, as seen in most members of the clade.

What we know

  • Named by Chinzorig et al., 2025.
  • Body length estimated at about 1 m.
  • Fossils found in Mongolia.