Footprint type

Otozoum

Hitchcock 1847

Otozoum 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 237–174.7 million years old in 7 countries, most often the United States and Canada.

Confidence labels

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How sure are we?0 high12 medium10 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

237–174.7 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: Hitchcock 1847
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Described in: E. Hitchcock (1847). Description of two new species of fossil footmarks found in Massachusetts and Connecticut, or, of the animals that made them. The American Journal of Science and Arts, series 2 4(10): 46–57.
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; its author and year match the naming authority (Hitchcock 1847).
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.
Dated to: Norian, 227.3–205.7 million years ago
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Omnisaura calculation237–174.7 million years ago, from its dated fossil records
medium
medium: Omnisaura's calculation from 24 confirmed PBDB records.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Found in: Canada
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (3 records).
United States
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (15 records).
France
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Germany
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Lesotho
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Morocco
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
United Kingdom
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: McCoy Brook
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (3 records).
Navajo Sandstone
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (5 records).
Navajo-Nugget Sandstone
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (4 records).
Portland Formation
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (5 records).
Etjo
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Grès supérieurs et Argilites bariolées
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Molteno
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Plattensandstein
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Wingate Sandstone
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: Canonical names, automatic and editor-approved matches applied.
Footprint family: Otozoidae
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Parent group: Otozoidae
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.

Sources: Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0), Natural History Museum Data Portal (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.
Type species: no source we use gives it 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 "?").
Resting on one source: 5 facts come from a single source with nothing against them (rated medium): name (PBDB); authority (PBDB); parent group (PBDB); family (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…?

Did Otozoum meet ?

No. Otozoum had gone at least 91.1 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.

Grallator Eubrontes Anomoepus Argoides Platypterna Plectropterna Sauropus Anchisauripus Anchisaurus Kayentapus Navahopus Plectropus Pseudotrisauropus Trihamus Xiphopeza Anticheiropusand 6 more

Same family

Other genera in Otozoidae with a full profile.

Evazoum Kalosauropus

Credits

Where this page comes from

Paleobiology DatabaseCC BY 4.0 · fossil records, ages, classification
Natural History Museum Data PortalCC0 1.0 · catalogued specimens
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