Quercus sect. Heterobalanus (Oerst.) Menits. is a group of oaks consisting of 9 species. They are distributed from Chiang Mai in Thailand to southwest China, Burma, India, Bhutan, Nepal and Afghanistan. However, they are mainly concentrated in eastern Himalayan areas, particularly in the Hengduan Mountains. They are dominant elements in vegetation types of Hengduan mountains. Relationships between the distributions of the section and uplift of Himalayas are discussed in the present paper. Taxonomical revision is carried out at first and 12 species of the section are reduced to 9. Based on taxonomical revision, the modern distribution, fossil history and systematic position of the section are discussed. The fossil record of this section extended back to the Miocene. Early fossil oaks of this section were found mixed with other oaks or Fagaceae, which formed evergreen broad-leaf forests in subtropical region of China and east Asia. The younger fossil (the Late Miocene) records showed that oaks of this section had become the dominant element in floras. A hypothesis was proposed that Sect. Heterobalanus had its origins in these subtropical broad-forests. This type of forest was widely distributed in many regions including the Hengduan Mountains. After the Tertiary Indian plate collided with Eurasia it caused the uplifting of Himalayas and the formation of the Hengduan Mountains where the climate became cold and dry. Such an environment was not ideal for most broad-leaf evergreen trees. However, oaks of sect. Heterobalanus, having obvious xerophytic characters such as dense hairs, thick cuticles, lignified epidermal cell walls and cuticles, and low stomatal density, were adapted to such an environment and therefore became dominant elements in the Hengduan Mountain regions. This hypothesis is partly supported by modern distribution, fossil history and AFLP evidences.