Footprint type
Kayentapus
Kayentapus 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 227.3–161.5 million years old in 6 countries, most often the United States and China.
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
- Welles 1971
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
- Described in
- S. P. Welles (1971). Dinosaur footprints from the Kayenta Formation of northern Arizona. Plateau 44(1): 27–38.
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; its author and year match the naming authority (Welles 1971).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
- Kayentapus hopii
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
- Dated to
- Norian to Bathonian, 227.3–165.3 million years ago
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.Omnisaura calculation227.3–161.5 million years ago, from its dated fossil recordsmedium
medium: Omnisaura's calculation from 35 confirmed PBDB records.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
- Found in
- ChinaPoland
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (9 records).United Statesmedium
medium: Only PBDB records it (4 records).Francemedium
medium: Only PBDB records it (10 records).Japanlow
low: Only one PBDB record.Lesotholow
low: Only one PBDB record.low
low: Only one PBDB record.mixed
mixed: 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
- 23, including Kayenta, Fengjiahe, Höganäs and Monte Zugna
mixed
mixed: Levels differ between entries; each has its own.Show all 23, each with its confidence
Bull RunEtjomedium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).Fengjiahemedium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).Höganäsmedium
medium: Only PBDB records it (4 records).Kayentamedium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).Monte Zugnamedium
medium: Only PBDB records it (3 records).Rotzomedium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).Sklobymedium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).Turners Fallsmedium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).Calcaires à Stipitesmedium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).Elliot Formationlow
low: Only one PBDB record.Fuxianlow
low: Only one PBDB record.Hutubihelow
low: Only one PBDB record.Kitamatadanilow
low: Only one PBDB record.Loppio Oolitic Limestonelow
low: Only one PBDB record.Manassas Sandstonelow
low: Only one PBDB record.Mecsek Coallow
low: Only one PBDB record.Moenavelow
low: Only one PBDB record.Portland Formationlow
low: Only one PBDB record.Przysuchalow
low: Only one PBDB record.Shaximiaolow
low: Only one PBDB record.Xincunlow
low: Only one PBDB record.Zagajelow
low: Only one PBDB record.low
low: Only one PBDB record.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: Canonical names, automatic and editor-approved matches applied.
- Parent group
- Theropoda
medium
medium: 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.
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: 16 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); age (headline) (PBDB).
Size, diet and behaviour aren't covered yet. Omnisaura leaves them out rather than guess.
Where sources disagree
None open. Where our sources overlap, they agree on everything shown here.
Did it meet…?
No. Kayentapus had gone at least 77.9 million years before Tyrannosaurus appears in the fossil record, a longer gap than the 66 million years between Tyrannosaurus and today.
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.
Same parent group
Other genera in Theropoda 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