Dianchungosaurus (meaning "Dianchung lizard"[1]) is an extinct genus of mesoeucrocodylian crocodyliform from the Early Jurassic of China.
[2] Two specimens were originally referred to this taxon:[1] Both remains come from the Lower Lufeng Formation, near Dianchung, in the Yunnan Province in China.
[2] Originally classified by Young in 1982 in Heterodontosauridae,[1] Dianchungosaurus lufengensis' affinities were doubted by some, who regarded it as a nomen dubium, but it was until recently usually considered a valid heterodontosaurid.
In 2005, a paper by Barrett and Xu focused on this problematic taxon and found its specimens to form an hypodigm, a chimera of different animals.
[2] To maintain the stability in the literature, the holotype retains the name D. lufengensis, while the paratype awaits a formal description.