Ceratosaurus fossil map
Where fossils of Ceratosaurus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 145 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 145 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Theropods |
|---|---|
| Lived | 157.9–143.1 million years ago |
| Periods | Jurassic |
| Named by | Marsh 1884 |
| Fossil records | 29 occurrences at 25 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Portugal, Tanzania, Uruguay |
| Rock formations | Morrison, Tendaguru, Lourinhã, Tacuarembó, Alcobaça, Praia da Amoreira-Porto Novo |
About Ceratosaurus
Ceratosaurus (from Greek κέρας / κέρατος keras / keratos 'horn' and σαῦρος sauros 'lizard') is a genus of carnivorous theropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic period (around 155 m.y.a) in North America and Europe. The genus was first described in 1884 by American paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh based on a nearly complete skeleton discovered in Garden Park, Colorado, in rocks belonging to the Morrison Formation. The type species is Ceratosaurus nasicornis.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Ceratosaurus (revision 1374394655), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in.
