Omnisaura
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Dinosaur genus

Scelidosaurus

Owen 1859

Scelidosaurus is a dinosaur genus known from bones, found in rocks 201.4–174.7 million years old, in the United Kingdom and China.

Confidence labels
How sure are we?3 high5 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
201.4–174.7 Ma
Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous
252 million years ago20114366

Solid: the ages of its dated fossils, 201.4–174.7 million years ago (Omnisaura's calculation). Pale: the published range, 205.7–174.7 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
Owen 1859
disputedlow: Sources disagree and an editor has not ruled yet.
Sources

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

Described in
R. Owen (1859). Palaeontology. The Encyclopaedia Brittanica, or Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and General Literature (8th Edition) 17: 91–176.
mediummedium: Only PBDB gives this; its author and year match the naming authority (Owen 1859).
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.

Lived
Rhaetian to Toarcian, 205.7–174.7 million years ago
highhigh: PBDB and NHM agree.
Omnisaura calculation201.4–174.7 million years ago, from its dated fossil records
mediummedium: Omnisaura's calculation from 11 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.
China
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: Union of all sources (ISO 3166).

Rock formations
Charmouth Mudstone
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (10 records).
Redcar Mudstone Formation
disputedlow: Only NHM gives this name and it matches no PBDB formation; awaiting an editor.
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
Scelidosauridae
highhigh: PBDB and NHM agree.
Sources

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

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

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

Order
Ornithischia
mediummedium: 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

  • Type species: 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: 2 facts come from a single source with nothing against them (rated medium): 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
  • Redcar Mudstone FormationNHM

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

Authority

  • Owen 1859PBDB (shown above)
  • Richard Owen, 1860Wikidata

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

Did it meet…?

?

No. Scelidosaurus 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.

Lived alongside

Genera found in the same rock formations, from rocks of the same age.

None in Omnisaura yet.

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.