Irritator fossil map
Where fossils of Irritator have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 115 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 115 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 | 119.57–113.2 million years ago (Aptian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous |
| Family | Spinosauridae |
| Named by | Martill et al. 1996 |
| Fossil records | 1 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Brazil |
| Rock formations | Romualdo |
About Irritator
Irritator is a genus of spinosaurid dinosaur that lived in what is now Brazil during the Albian stage of the Early Cretaceous Period, about 113 to 110 million years ago. It is known from a nearly complete skull found in the Romualdo Formation of the Araripe Basin. Fossil dealers had acquired this skull and sold it to the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart. It was the subject of an ongoing international restitution dispute between Germany and Brazil, until its announcement of return to Brazil in 2026. In 1996, the specimen became the holotype of the type species Irritator challengeri. The genus name comes from the word "irritation", reflecting the feelings of paleontologists who found the skull had been heavily damaged and altered by the collectors. The species name is a homage to the fictional character Professor Challenger from Arthur Conan Doyle's novels.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Irritator (revision 1375060348), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q131211.
