Dinosaur genus
Aristosuchus
Aristosuchus is a dinosaur genus known from bones, found in rocks 125.8–119.6 million years old, in the United Kingdom.
Confidence labels are switched off. Facts with low confidence, or where sources disagree, still carry a small dot: tap it for the reason.
At a glance
Data as of 12 October 2026- Named by
- Seeley 1887
high
high: PBDB and Wikidata agree.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
- Described in
- H. G. Seeley (1887). On Aristosuchus pusillus (Owen), being further notes on the fossils described by Sir R. Owen as Poikilopleuron pusillus, Owen. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London 43: 221–228. Read it
high
high: PBDB gives this publication for the name; its author and year match the naming authority (Seeley 1887), on which PBDB and Wikidata agree.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. The publication the Paleobiology Database gives as the authority for this genus name, usually the one that first named and described it.
- Type species
- Aristosuchus pusillus
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
- Lived
- Barremian to Aptian, 125.8–119.6 million years ago
high
high: PBDB and NHM agree.Omnisaura calculation125.8–119.6 million years ago, from its dated fossil recordslow
low: Omnisaura's calculation from only 1 dated record(s).Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
- Fossils found in
- United Kingdom
high
high: NHM and PBDB both record it.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Union of all sources (ISO 3166).
- Rock formations
- Vectis Formation
disputed
low: Only NHM gives this name and it matches no PBDB formation; awaiting an editor.Sources
Given by: Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Canonical names, automatic and editor-approved matches applied.
- Family
- Compsognathidae
high
high: PBDB and NHM agree.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
- Parent group
- Compsognathidae
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
- Order
- Saurischia
medium
medium: Only NHM gives this; nothing contradicts it.Sources
Given by: Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Gap filled from NHM.
- Known from
- Bones
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database (what the name was based on).
Gaps are answers
What isn't known yet
- Common names: no source we use gives it yet.
- What it was named after: no source we use gives it yet.
- Resting on one source: 3 facts come from a single source with nothing against them (rated medium): type species (PBDB); parent group (PBDB); order (NHM).
Size, diet and behaviour aren't covered yet. Omnisaura leaves them out rather than guess.
Where sources disagree
1 openFormations
- NonePBDB
- Vectis FormationNHM
One source names a formation the other does not. An editor hasn't ruled yet, so this is rated low until they do.
Did it meet…?
No. Aristosuchus had gone at least 36 million years before Tyrannosaurus appears in the fossil record.
Going by the ages and rock formations of their dated fossils, as on the map. Compare their fossil sites on the map.
Lived alongside
Genera found in the same rock formations, from rocks of the same age.
None in Omnisaura yet.
Same family
Other genera in Compsognathidae with a full profile.
Credits
Where this page comes from
- Paleobiology DatabaseCC BY 4.0 · fossil records, ages, classification
- Natural History Museum Data PortalCC0 1.0 · catalogued specimens
- WikidataCC0 1.0 · names and identifiers
- OmnisauraOmnisaura editorial · confidence levels and gaps
- PaleoMAP PaleoCoastlines (Kocsis and Scotese 2021)CC BY 4.0 · ancient coastlines on the small map
- Natural EarthPublic domain · today's coastlines
Pictures linked from this page are credited beside each one, with their own licences; the full list is in the JSON download.