An early named dinosaur
Iguanodon was named in 1825, making it one of the first non-avian dinosaurs recognized by science.
A REAL DINOSAUR. A SUSPICIOUSLY FAMILIAR PERSONALITY.
IGUANODON.
Cautiously giving this a thumbs-up.
You are open to the idea. Once the details are checked, the route is established, and somebody has confirmed the return policy. Enthusiasm, with sensible terms and conditions.
SIGNATURE MOVEReading the instructions everyone else threw away.
SPECIMEN 16 / EARLY CRETACEOUS
IGUANODON BERNISSARTENSIS · HERBIVORE
IGUANODON BERNISSARTENSIS · HERBIVOREDavide Bonadonna · CC BY 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Meet the actual dinosaur THE ACTUAL SCIENCE STARTS HERE
Meet the real Iguanodon.
The jokes are ours.
The animal was very real.
- WHEN
- About 126–122 million years ago
- ON THE MENU
- Herbivore
- LENGTH
- About 9–10 m
- BODY MASS
- About 3–4 tonnes
The misplaced spike
A thumb spike was initially reconstructed as a horn on the nose before more complete skeletons clarified its position.
The Bernissart discovery
A Belgian coal mine yielded numerous skeletons in 1878, radically improving knowledge of the animal.
Versatile hands
The hand combined weight-bearing digits, a thumb spike, and a more flexible outer finger.
Plant processing
A beak cropped vegetation, while rows of teeth processed food farther back in the jaws.
Posture revised
Early upright, tail-dragging mounts have been replaced by more horizontal reconstructions with the tail held off the ground.
A little room for discovery.
Many fossils once assigned to Iguanodon have been reclassified. Older books may give it a much broader range than current taxonomy supports.
Read more: Iguanodon on Wikipedia · Research and references. Facts are summarized in our own words. Size and date ranges are approximate; estimates vary by specimen and study. Gallery images may include other species within the genus.
A closer look.
Fossils, museum displays, and published reconstructions. Artwork shows an interpretation; it is not a photograph of a living dinosaur.
Is this your prehistoric alter ego?
Eight questions and an optional face scan will settle this. Very unofficially.