Scelidosaurus fossil map
Where fossils of Scelidosaurus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 201 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 201 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 | Stegosaurs & ankylosaurs |
|---|---|
| Lived | 205.7–174.7 million years ago (Rhaetian to Toarcian) |
| Periods | Triassic, Jurassic |
| Family | Scelidosauridae |
| Named by | Owen 1859 |
| Fossil records | 13 occurrences at 7 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | UK, China |
| Rock formations | Charmouth Mudstone, txn:38799, Waterloo Mudstone |
About Scelidosaurus
Scelidosaurus (; with the intended meaning of "limb lizard", from Greek skelis/σκελίς meaning 'rib of beef' and sauros/σαυρος meaning 'lizard') is a genus of herbivorous armoured ornithischian dinosaur from the Jurassic of England.
Scelidosaurus lived during the Early Jurassic epoch, during the Sinemurian to Pliensbachian ages around 191 million years ago, at the time when Europe formed an island archipelago. Its fossils have been found in the Charmouth Mudstone Formation near Charmouth in Dorset, England, and these fossils are known for their excellent preservation. Scelidosaurus has been claimed as one of the earliest complete dinosaurs, and is among the most completely known dinosaur of the British Isles. Despite this, a modern description only materialised in 2020. After initial finds in the 1850s, comparative anatomist Richard Owen named and described Scelidosaurus in 1859. Only one species, Scelidosaurus harrisonii named by Owen in 1861, is considered valid today, although one other species was proposed in 1996.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Scelidosaurus (revision 1371060699), 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.
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