Dinosaur genus

Camptosaurus

Marsh 1885

Camptosaurus is a dinosaur genus known from bones, found in rocks 157.9–143.1 million years old, in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Confidence labels

VisibleOn tapHidden

How sure are we?3 high6 medium2 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

157.9–143.1 Ma

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114366

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: Marsh 1885
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Described in: O. C. Marsh (1885). Names of extinct reptiles. American Journal of Science 29: 169.
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; its author and year match the naming authority (Marsh 1885).
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: Camptosaurus dispar
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Lived: 157.9–143.1 million years ago
high
high: PBDB and NHM agree.
Omnisaura calculation157.9–143.1 million years ago, from its dated fossil records
medium
medium: Omnisaura's calculation from 35 confirmed PBDB records.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Fossils found in: United States
high
high: NHM and PBDB both record it.
United Kingdom
disputed
low: NHM records it here but PBDB has no record in this country; awaiting an editor.
mixed
mixed: Levels differ between entries; each has its own.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Union of all sources (ISO 3166).
Rock formations: Morrison Formation
high
high: NHM and PBDB both record it.
Oxford Clay Formation
disputed
low: Only NHM gives this name and it matches no PBDB formation; awaiting an editor.
mixed
mixed: Levels differ between entries; each has its own.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Canonical names, automatic and editor-approved matches applied.
Parent group: Ankylopollexia
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Order: Ornithischia
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).

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

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: 7 fossil records left out: identified only tentatively (for example "cf." or "?").
Resting on one source: 4 facts come from a single source with nothing against them (rated medium): authority (PBDB); 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

2 open

Formations

NonePBDB
Oxford Clay FormationNHM

One source names a formation the other does not. An editor hasn't ruled yet, so this is rated low until they do.

Countries

USPBDB
United KingdomNHM

One source records a country the other does not. An editor hasn't ruled yet, so this is rated low until they do.

Did it meet…?

Did Camptosaurus meet ?

No. Camptosaurus had gone at least 59.5 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.

Allosaurus Camarasaurus Stegosaurus Diplodocus Apatosaurus Dryosaurus Nanosaurus Brontosaurus Ceratosaurus Barosaurus Brachiosaurus Torvosaurus Coelurus Hesperosaurus Preprismatoolithus Haplocanthosaurusand 19 more

Same parent group

Other genera in Ankylopollexia with a full profile.

Bayannurosaurus Iguanodon

Where its fossils were found

28 fossil sites, with present-day and ancient positions

Open the map at this time

Cite this page

Omnisaura (2026). Camptosaurus. Future Sailors. https://www.omnisaura.com/genera/camptosaurus. Data as of 12 October 2026.

What's changed

No changes since the change log started (11 Oct 2026).

Every change to Omnisaura

Use this data

Download this genus as JSON With every source and licence attached. Spotted a problem? Tell us

Pictures

9 openly licensed pictures of Camptosaurus on Wikimedia Commons and museum sites, each with its own author and licence.

Camptosaurus.jpg
FunkMonk, CC BY-SA 3.0
NHM-UK_P_DF118_03_21_0289
The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London, CC BY 4.0
NHM-UK_P_DF118_03_23_0035
The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London, CC BY 4.0
NHM-UK_P_DF118_03_24_0229
The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London, CC BY 4.0

The rest are listed in the JSON download.

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.