Temnodontosaurus fossil map
Where fossils of Temnodontosaurus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 190 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 190 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 | Ichthyosaurs |
|---|---|
| Lived | 201.4–174.7 million years ago (Hettangian to Toarcian) |
| Periods | Jurassic |
| Named by | Lydekker 1889 |
| Fossil records | 16 occurrences at 14 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | UK, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium |
| Rock formations | txn:NF, Alum Shale, Charmouth Mudstone, Luxembourg Sandstone, Posidonia Shale, Whitby Mudstone Formtation |
About Temnodontosaurus
Temnodontosaurus (meaning "cutting-tooth lizard") is an extinct genus of large ichthyosaurs that lived during the Lower Jurassic in what is now Europe and possibly Chile. The first known fossil is a specimen consisting of a complete skull and partial skeleton discovered on a cliff by Joseph and Mary Anning around the early 1810s in Dorset, England. The anatomy of this specimen was subsequently analyzed in a series of articles written by Sir Everard Home between 1814 and 1819, making it the very first ichthyosaur to have been scientifically described. In 1822, the specimen was assigned to the genus Ichthyosaurus by William Conybeare, and more precisely to the species I. platyodon. Noting the large dental differences with other species of Ichthyosaurus, Richard Lydekker suggested in 1889 moving this species into a separate genus, which he named Temnodontosaurus. While many species have been assigned to the genus, only five are currently recognized as valid, the others being considered as synonymous, doubtful or possibly belonging to other taxa.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Temnodontosaurus (revision 1375230619), 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.
