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Dinosaur genus

Dacentrurus

Lucas 1902

Dacentrurus is a dinosaur genus known from bones, found in rocks 154.8–137.1 million years old, in 4 countries, most often Portugal and Spain.

Confidence labels
How sure are we?4 high12 medium3 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
154.8–137.1 Ma
Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous
252 million years ago20114366

Solid: the ages of its dated fossils, 154.8–137.1 million years ago (Omnisaura's calculation). Pale: the published range, 154.8–121.4 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
Lucas 1902
disputedlow: Sources disagree and an editor has not ruled yet.
Sources

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

Described in
F. A. Lucas (1902). Paleontological notes. The generic name Omosaurus. A new generic name for Stegosaurus marshi. Science, new series 16(402): 435.
mediummedium: Only PBDB gives this; its author and year match the naming authority (Lucas 1902).
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
Dacentrurus armatus
mediummedium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources

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

Lived
Kimmeridgian to Barremian, 154.8–121.4 million years ago
highhigh: PBDB and NHM agree.
Omnisaura calculation154.8–137.1 million years ago, from its dated fossil records
mediummedium: Omnisaura's calculation from 26 confirmed PBDB records.
Sources

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

Fossils found in
United Kingdom
highhigh: NHM and PBDB both record it.
France
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (3 records).
Portugal
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (12 records).
Spain
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (11 records).
mixedmixed: 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
Kimmeridge Clay Formation
highhigh: NHM and PBDB both record it.
Alcobaça
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
Argiles d'Octeville
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
Freixial
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
Lourinhã
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (6 records).
Villar del Arzobispo
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (10 records).
Piedrahita de Muñó
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Praia da Amoreira-Porto Novo
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
mixedmixed: 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.

Family
Stegosauridae
highhigh: PBDB and NHM agree.
Sources

Given by: Paleobiology Database; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.

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

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

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

  • Order: 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: 2 fossil records left out: identified only tentatively (for example "cf." or "?").
  • Held back: 2 fossil records left out: identified as a related genus rather than this one.
  • Resting on one source: 2 facts come from a single source with nothing against them (rated medium): 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

Authority

  • Lucas 1902PBDB (shown above)
  • Richard Owen, 1875Wikidata

The sources give different values. An editor hasn't ruled yet, so this is rated low until they do.

Did it meet…?

?

No. Dacentrurus had gone at least 53.5 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.

DeltapodusDinehichnusCeratosaurusLourinhasaurusTorvosaurusAllosaurusLosillasaurusTuriasaurusBrontopodusDuriatitanLourinhanosaurusLusovenatorZbyAragosaurusAviatyrannisCompsognathusand 6 more

Same family

Other genera in Stegosauridae with a full profile.

AdratiklitChangdusaurusChungkingosaurusHesperosaurusKentrosaurusLoricatosaurusStegosaurusWuerhosaurus

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.