Omnisaura
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Footprint type

Brontopodus

Farlow et al. 1989

Brontopodus is a footprint type: the name is for the fossil footprints themselves. The animal that made them is not known for certain. Its footprints are found in rocks 174.7–85.7 million years old in 10 countries, most often China and the United States.

Confidence labels
How sure are we?0 high21 medium30 lowHow we rate confidence

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
174.7–85.7 Ma
Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous
252 million years ago20114366

Solid: the ages of its dated fossils, 174.7–85.7 million years ago (Omnisaura's calculation). Pale: the published range, 201.4–100.5 million years ago, which also counts records Omnisaura leaves out.

The last non-bird dinosaurs died out 66 million years ago. That's as far from us as the end of this bar.

Named by
Farlow et al. 1989
mediummedium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources

Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.

Described in
J. O. Farlow, J. G. Pittman, J. M. Hawthorne (1989). Brontopodus birdi, Lower Cretaceous dinosaur footprints from the U.S. Gulf Coastal Plain. Dinosaur Tracks and Traces. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 371–394.
mediummedium: Only PBDB gives this; its author and year match the naming authority (Farlow et al. 1989).
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
Brontopodus birdi
mediummedium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources

Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.

Dated to
Hettangian to Albian, 201.4–100.5 million years ago
disputedlow: Sources disagree and an editor has not ruled yet.
Omnisaura calculation174.7–85.7 million years ago, from its dated fossil records
mediummedium: Omnisaura's calculation from 78 confirmed PBDB records.
Sources

Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.

Found in
China
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (21 records).
France
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (4 records).
Portugal
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (11 records).
Spain
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (10 records).
United States
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (16 records).
Algeria
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Canada
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Morocco
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Poland
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
United Kingdom
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
mixedmixed: Levels differ between entries; each has its own.
Sources

Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: Union of all sources (ISO 3166).

Rock formations
35, including Glen Rose Limestone, Jiaguan, Jiangdihe and Jindong
mixedmixed: Levels differ between entries; each has its own.
Show all 35, each with its confidence
Espichel
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (8 records).
Feitianshan
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (3 records).
Glen Rose Limestone
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (9 records).
Haman
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
Jiaguan
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (3 records).
Jiangdihe
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (5 records).
Jindong
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (10 records).
Patuxent
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
Tianjialou
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (3 records).
Villar del Arzobispo
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
Xiaoba
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
Alcobaça
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Blaziny Oolite Limestones
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Camadas de Almargem
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Cazals
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Cedar Mountain
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Couches du Chailley
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Dansirit
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
De Queen
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Entrada Sandstone
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Huérteles
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Iouaridène
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Jinju
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Larriba
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Leidashu
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Mist Mountain
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Morrison Formation
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Pinilla de los Moros
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Saltwick
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Shedian
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Shouchang
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Tereñes
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Tiloula
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Tuchengzi
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Twin Mountains
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Sources

Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: Canonical names, automatic and editor-approved matches applied.

Parent group
Sauropoda
mediummedium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources

Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.

Known from
Footprints and traces
Sources

Given by: Paleobiology Database (what the name was based on).

Made by
Not known for certain. Footprints rarely show which animal made them.
Sources: Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0), Natural History Museum Data Portal (CC0 1.0), Wikidata (CC0 1.0)Confidence levels and gaps are Omnisaura's own assessment.

Gaps are answers

What isn't known yet

  • The animal that made them: not known for certain, as for most footprint types.
  • Order: no source we use gives it yet.
  • Family: no source we use gives it yet.
  • Common names: no source we use gives it yet.
  • What it was named after: no source we use gives it yet.
  • Held back: 31 fossil records left out: identified only tentatively (for example "cf." or "?").
  • Resting on one source: 3 facts come from a single source with nothing against them (rated medium): authority (PBDB); type species (PBDB); parent group (PBDB).

Size, diet and behaviour aren't covered yet. Omnisaura leaves them out rather than guess.

Where sources disagree

1 open

Age

  • 201.4–100.5 MaPBDB
  • 174.7–85.7 MaPBDB's own confirmed records

The ages of the records reach well beyond the published range. An editor hasn't ruled yet, so this is rated low until they do.

Did it meet…?

?

No. Brontopodus had gone at least 2.1 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.

Found in the same rocks

Genera and other fossil types from the same formations, from rocks of the same age.

AllosaurusCamarasaurusDiplodocusStegosaurusApatosaurusCamptosaurusBrontosaurusCeratosaurusDryosaurusBarosaurusNanosaurusCaririchniumEubrontesBrachiosaurusGrallatorDacentrurusand 63 more

Same parent group

Other genera in Sauropoda with a full profile.

ArchaeodontosaurusCalorckosauripusChinshakiangosaurusGalinhapodusKotasaurusLamplughsauraSanpasaurus

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