Key Facts about haolong the New Spiked Dinosaur:
- A new herbivorous iguanodontian dinosaur species has been discovered in China.
- The fossil preserves 125-million-year-old skin with microscopic detail.
- The species was named Haolong dongi, meaning 'Spiny Dragon' and named in honor of paleontologist Dong Zhiming.
- The discovery is based on a single, nearly complete juvenile fossil specimen.
- The hollow spikes are cutaneous (skin-based), not modified bones.
- This is the first confirmed evidence of hollow defensive spikes in any dinosaur.
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Haolong dongi: the dinosaur iwth unprecedented hollow skin structures
This news article is based on the Journal Article (Huang et al., 2026) from Nature Ecology & Evolution and by a press release by the CNRS.
Paleontologists have identified a new species of herbivorous dinosaur from China that possessed a body covering unlike anything previously confirmed in dinosaurs. Named Haolong dongi,
the species is known from a single, nearly complete juvenile fossil dating to approximately 125 million years ago in the Early Cretaceous.
While dinosaur discoveries are not uncommon, this specimen stands out for its extraordinary preservation.
The fossil retains skin impressions at the cellular level; a rare form of soft-tissue preservation that allows scientists to examine microscopic anatomical details.
Researchers used advanced X-ray imaging and high-resolution histological analysis to study the fossilized skin, revealing an unexpected feature: hollow, cutaneous spikes covering much of the animal's body
Hollow Spikes Never Before Seen in Dinosaurs
The spikes are not modified bones or osteoderms. Instead, they are skin-based (cutaneous) structures with hollow internal cavities; a type of integumentary structure never previously confirmed in dinosaurs.
Their form indicates a defensive function, comparable in deterrent effect to the quills of modern porcupines. During the Early Cretaceous, small carnivorous theropods would have posed a significant threat to a young herbivorous dinosaur like Haolong dongi.
However, scientists caution that the spikes may have served additional roles. Because the structures are hollow, researchers suggest they could have contributed to
thermoregulation, sensory perception, or visual display/species recognition. As the only known specimen is juvenile, it remains uncertain whether adult individuals retained these spikes or if the structures changed with maturity.
Expanding the Iguanodontian Family Tree
Haolong dongi belongs to the Iguanodontia, a diverse and well-studied group of plant-eating dinosaurs documented for over 200 years. Despite the long research history of this group, no prior evidence has indicated the presence of hollow skin spikes of this kind.
The discovery therefore represents a unique evolutionary innovation within the lineage and highlights how incomplete our understanding of dinosaur skin and body coverings still is.
A Rare Glimpse Into Dinosaur Soft Tissue
Soft-tissue preservation in dinosaurs is exceptionally rare, and preservation at the cellular scale is even more extraordinary. The Haolong dongi specimen provides valuable new insight into dinosaur integument, defense strategies, and evolutionary experimentation during the Early Cretaceous.
As further discoveries are made, researchers hope to determine whether this remarkable spiny covering was unique to juveniles, or if adults carried these unprecedented hollow structures as well.
Honoring a Pioneer of Chinese Paleontology
The species was named in honor of Dong Zhiming, a pioneering figure in Chinese paleontology whose work helped shape modern dinosaur research in the region.
The fossil was examined at the Anhui Geological Museum in Hefei, China, and the research involved scientists from the CNRS and international collaborators. The findings were formally published on February 6, 2026, in Nature Ecology & Evolution.
