Platytholus fossil map
Where fossils of Platytholus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 66 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 66 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 | Horned & dome-headed dinosaurs |
|---|---|
| Lived | 72.2–66 million years ago (Maastrichtian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous |
| Family | Pachycephalosauridae |
| Named by | Horner et al. 2023 |
| Fossil records | 1 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States |
| Rock formations | Hell Creek |
About Platytholus
Platytholus is an extinct genus of pachycephalosaurid (dome-headed dinosaur) from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Hell Creek Formation of the United States. The genus contains a single species, P. clemensi, known from a partial skull. It was a medium-sized pachycephalosaur, living alongside its smaller relative Sphaerotholus and larger relative Pachycephalosaurus. Compared to other pachycephalosaurs, its dome had a distinct low and broad rectangular shape and unique roof-tile like ornamentation along its sides. Though it has been found as a potential relative of Prenocephale, its phylogenetic position remains uncertain due to the fragmentary nature of the only known specimen.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Platytholus (revision 1371988312), 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: Q117708125.
