Genus: Dinocephalosaurus LI, 2003
Etymology : Greek, deino, "frearfully great", Greek, kephale, "head" and Greek, sauros, "lizard"; referes to the ghastful skull of this taxon.

Species: orientalis LI, 2003
Etymology: Latin word, referes to the eastern Tethyan distribution of the taxon.

Holotype: IVVP V13767

Locality: Xinmin, Panxian County, Guizhou Province, Southern China.

Horizon: Upper Member, Guanling Formation.

Biostratigraphy:

Age: Anisian Stage, Lower Mid Triassic Epoch, Middle Triassic.

Material: Nearly complete skull and several cervical vertebrae.

Referred material:

LI, RIEPPEL & LABARBERA, 2004

IVPP V13898: Skull and nearly complete skeleton.

 

SPIEKMAN, WANG, ZHAO, RIEPPEL, FRASER & LI, 2024

IVPP 17977: Skull and cervical vertebrae.

ZMNH M8727: Fragmentary skull and fragmentary skeleton.

ZMNH M8728: Skull and skeleton lacking pelvis and tail.

ZMNH M8752: Fragmentary skull and skeleton.

IVPP V20295: Skull and skeleton.

LI, RIEPPEL & FRASER, 2017, LIU, ORGAN, BENTON, BRADLEY & AITCHISON, 2017

Locality: Bed 74 of the Dawazi section, Luoping County, Yunnan Province, southern China.

Horizon: Member II, Guanling Formation.

Biostratigraphy:

Age: Pelsonian Substage, Anisian Stage, Lower Mid Triassic Epoch, Middle Triassic.

Material:

LPV 30280: Fagmentary skull and fragmentary skeleton.

Note: There is an embryo preserved, fragmentary skeleton.