It is also represented by vertebrae but this species however, differs in geological age and lacks authentic characteristics compared to the type, making its affinity to the genus unsupported.

Nanshiungosaurus had a very pneumatized vertebral column with the posterior cervical vertebrae of the long neck being unusually robust and slightly more elongated than the dorsals.

The unusual shape of the pelvis led Dong—the original describer—to interpret the remains as belonging to some dwarf sauropod, but during the 1990s the genus was recognized as a segnosaur (now therizinosaur) based the pelvic similarities with Segnosaurus.

In 1974, during a geological expedition at the Nanxiong Basin led by the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology several fossilized remains of dinosaurs were discovered by the team.

Near the village of Dapingcun at the Nanxiong Formation, Guangdong Province, a relatively large and partial skeleton was found in articulation dating back to the Late Cretaceous.

The generic name, Nanshiungosaurus, refers to the site of provenance Nanxiong city and is derived from the Greek σαῦρος (sauros, meaning lizard).

bohlini dates back from the Barremian-Aptian ages and in the view of lack of synapomorphies, she considered that the supposed second species is unrelated to Nanshiungosaurus and might warrant its own genus.

In addition, she corrected the number of sacral vertebrae from 5 to 6 and noted that the holotype pelvis from the latter has suffered damage since collection and has been reconstructed with painted plaster in the affected areas.

[3] Like other derived (advanced) therizinosaurids, Nanshiungosaurus was a pot-bellied animal that had a strong build composed of stout hindlimbs with a functionally tetradactyl pes.

[7] Though the holotype specimen lacks cranial material, the preserved elements in therizinosaurids Erlikosaurus and Segnosaurus indicate that it had a relatively small skull with coarsely serrated teeth, and developed a prominent rhamphotheca (keratinous beak).

The anterior capitular process is compressed (flattened) with some degree of thickness, and extends from the bottom to lateral sides to be fused with the capitulum on the ribs.

Seventh and eighth cervicals are the longest with 18 cm (180 mm) long centra and posterior to them, the vertebral size slightly narrows.

They are lightly more longer than the dorsals and have stocky, side to ide broadened neural spines with the top surfaces bearing small depressions.

[10] After the findings of Nanshiungosaurus and Segnosaurus, more complete relatives started to be discovered, but their anatomical traits were so aberrant compared to other theropods to the point of being considered as Late Cretaceous sauropodomorph dinosaurs.

[11][12] In 1990, the paleontologists Rinchen Barsbold and Teresa Maryańska noted the striking similarities between the pelvises of Nanshiungosaurus and Segnosaurus, such as the ophisthopubic condition and large iliac blade.

[14] Nevertheless, the description of Alxasaurus in 1993 proved that the long-aberrant segnosaurs were tetanuran theropod dinosaurs and Segnosauridae was a junior synonym of the older name Therizinosauridae.

[2] In 2010, Zanno performed one of the most complete analyses of the Therizinosauria at that point and noted that these two species do not pertain to the same genus and therefore the use of the Nanshiungosauridae was invalid and represents a synonym of Therizinosauridae.

[23] The therizinosaurid Nanshiungosaurus was a bulky high-browser in its ecosystem,[6] and shared its habitat with multiple oviraptorosaur species such as Banji, Ganzhousaurus, Corythoraptor, Nankangia, Huanansaurus or Shixinggia.

[23] Other reptiles that composed the fauna were the terrestrial or semiaquatic nanhsiungchelyid turtles Nanhsiungchelys and Jiangxichelys, squamates Chianghsia and Tianyusaurus, and the crocodilian Jiangxisuchus.