Thecodontosaurus fossil map
Where fossils of Thecodontosaurus 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 | Sauropods & prosauropods |
|---|---|
| Lived | 247–192.9 million years ago |
| Periods | Triassic, Jurassic |
| Named by | Riley and Stutchbury 1836 |
| Fossil records | 14 occurrences at 14 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, France, Germany, Lesotho |
| Rock formations | txn:NF, Forest Sandstone, Magnesian Conglomerate, Elliot |
About Thecodontosaurus
Thecodontosaurus ("socket-tooth lizard") is a genus of herbivorous basal sauropodomorph dinosaur that lived during the late Triassic period (Carnian age). Its remains are known mostly from Triassic "fissure fillings" in southern England. Thecodontosaurus was a small bipedal animal, about 2 m (6.6 ft) long. It is one of the first dinosaurs to be discovered and is one of the oldest that ever existed. Many species have been named within the genus, but only the type species Thecodontosaurus antiquus is seen as valid today.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Thecodontosaurus (revision 1373848775), 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: Q131300.
