Tianzhenosaurus (meaning “Tianzhen lizard”) is a genus of ankylosaurid dinosaurs known from the Late Cretaceous Huiquanpu Formation of Shanxi Province, China.

[4] Pang and Cheng, 1998 distinguished Tianzhenosaurus from all other ankylosaurids based on the following traits: A flat, low, medium-sized, isosceles triangle shaped skull; skull roof covered with irregular bony tubercles; a relatively long premaxilla; a small orbit surrounded by a bony ring; horizontally elongates narial openings; septomaxilla not separating the narial openings; maxillary tooth rows slightly convergent posteriorly; short basicranium; maxilloturbinal located laterally in middle part of the palatal vault; vertical occipital region; narrow and high occipital condyle; occipital condyle not visible in dorsal view; opisthotic extends lateroventrally as a curved process; mandible is deep with a convex ventral border; no mandibular ornamentation; tooth crowns have cingula on labial sides, swollen bases, and middle ridge on lingual sides; short, amphicoelous cervical centrum; dorsal centrum is long and flat at both ends; eight fused vertebrae in sacrum; short and thick anterior caudal vertebrae; narrow and elongated posterior caudal vertebrae that ended with a tail club; rectangular, plate-like scapula; proximal and distal ends of humerus are moderately expanded and not twisted; thick femur lacking the fourth trochanter; tarsometatarsal and digits that are typical for ankylosaurs.

[6] Huayangosaurus taibaii Stegosaurus armatus Nodosauridae Minmi paravertebra Liaoningosaurus paradoxus Cedarpelta bilbeyhallorum Gobisaurus domoculus Shamosaurus scutatus Zhongyuansaurus luoyangensis Tsagantegia longicranialis Shanxia tianzhensis "Crichtonsaurus" benxiensis Dyoplosaurus acutosquameus Pinacosaurus mephistocephalus Ankylosaurus magniventris Euoplocephalus tutus Minotaurasaurus ramachandrani Pinacosaurus grangeri Nodocephalosaurus kirtlandensis Talarurus plicatospineus Tianzhenosaurus youngi Saichania chulsanensis Tarchia gigantea The results of an earlier analysis by Vickaryous et al., 2004 is reproduced below.

[5] Cedarpelta bilbeyhallorum Nodosauridae Gargoyleosaurus parkpinorum Minmi paravertebra Gastonia burgei Gobisaurus domoculus Shamosaurus scutatus Tsagantegia longicranialis Tarchia gigantea Ankylosaurus magniventris Euoplocephalus tutus Saichania chulsanensis Talarurus plicatospineus Pinacosaurus grangeri Pinacosaurus mephistocephalus Tianzhenosaurus youngi The holotype specimen of Tianzhenosaurus was recovered from the Huiquanpu Formation, which possibly dates to the Cenomanian or Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous.

However, the precise dating of the formation is problematic due to the absence of index fossils and the Cretaceous age is partially based on the discovery of indeterminate pliosaur material.

[8] The Huiquanpu Formation consists of grey siltstones interbedded with red medium to coarse grained sandstones that has extensive cross-bedding.