List of North American dinosaurs

This is a list of dinosaurs whose remains have been recovered from North America.

North America has a rich dinosaur fossil record with great diversity of dinosaurs. This may not mean the dinosaurs were more diverse or abundant; it may be because substantial resources have been devoted to the North American fossil record.

The Middle Jurassic is the only poorly represented time period in North America, although several Middle Jurassic localities are known from Mexico. Footprints, eggshells, teeth, and fragments of bone representing theropods, sauropods, and ornithopods have been found, but none of them are diagnostic to the genus level.

The Upper Jurassic of North America, however, is the exact opposite of the Middle Jurassic. The Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation is found in several U.S. states, including Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas. It is notable as being the most fertile single source of dinosaur fossils in the world.

During the Lower Cretaceous, new dinosaurs appeared. Sauropods were still present, but they were not as diverse as they were in the Jurassic. Theropods from the early Cretaceous of North America include dromaeosaurs such as Deinonychus and Utahraptor, Acrocanthosaurus, and Microvenator. Sauropods included Astrodon and Sauroposeidon. Ornithischians were more diverse than they were in the Jurassic Period. Tenontosaurus, Hypsilophodon, Iguanodon, Protohadros, and Eolambia are some of the ornithopods that lived then. Ankylosaurs replaced their stegosaur cousins in the Cretaceous. Ankylosaurs from the early Cretaceous of North America include Sauropelta and Gastonia. Therizinosaurs such as Falcarius, are also known from the early Cretaceous of North America.

Finally, in the long Upper Cretaceous, the greatest abundance and diversity of dinosaurs of all time lived in North America. During the early part of the Upper Cretaceous, the therizinosaur Nothronychus and the ceratopsian Zuniceratops lived. During the Campanian stage (83.6–72 mya), an enormous diversity of dinosaurs is known. Theropods included the tyrannosaurs Albertosaurus, Gorgosaurus, Daspletosaurus, Appalachiosaurus, and Dryptosaurus, and the dromaeosaurids Dromaeosaurus, Saurornitholestes, Atrociraptor, and Bambiraptor. Ceratopsians, such as Pachyrhinosaurus, Styracosaurus, Centrosaurus, Monoclonius, Brachyceratops, Pentaceratops, and Leptoceratops also existed. Among hadrosaurs, Parasaurolophus, Corythosaurus, Lambeosaurus, Saurolophus, and Prosaurolophus existed.

During the latest Cretaceous, the Maastrichtian stage (72–65.5 mya), the diversity of dinosaurs wasn't as great as the preceding Campanian stage. North American herbivorous dinosaurs then included the titanosaur sauropod Alamosaurus, the ceratopsians Triceratops and Torosaurus(The latter possibly synonymous with the former), the pachycephalosaurs Pachycephalosaurus and Stegoceras, the hadrosaurs Edmontosaurus and Anatotitan. Predatory dinosaurs from this time period included Tyrannosaurus and the potentially dubious Troodon.

Name Period Diet[1] Notes
Abydosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Achelousaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Acrocanthosaurus Cretaceous carnivore
Agathaumas Cretaceous herbivore Dubious, see article
Agujaceratops Cretaceous herbivore
Alamosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Alaskacephale Cretaceous herbivore
Albertaceratops Cretaceous herbivore
Albertonykus Cretaceous carnivore/insectivore
Albertosaurus Cretaceous carnivore
Aletopelta Cretaceous herbivore
Allosaurus Jurassic carnivore
Ammosaurus Jurassic herbivore/omnivore
Amphicoelias Jurassic herbivore
Anasazisaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Anatotitan Cretaceous herbivore
Anchiceratops Cretaceous herbivore
Anchisaurus Jurassic herbivore
Angulomastacator Cretaceous herbivore
Animantarx Cretaceous herbivore
Ankylosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Antrodemus Jurassic carnivore Probably synonymous with Allosaurus, see article
Apatodon (unknown) (unknown) Highly dubious, see article
Apatosaurus Jurassic herbivore Formerly known as Brontosaurus
Appalachiosaurus Cretaceous carnivore
Arkansaurus Cretaceous carnivore Received validity in 2018
Arrhinoceratops Cretaceous herbivore
Astrodon Cretaceous herbivore
Atlantosaurus Jurassic herbivore
Atrociraptor Cretaceous carnivore
Aublysodon Cretaceous carnivore
Avaceratops Cretaceous herbivore
Bambiraptor Cretaceous carnivore
Barosaurus Jurassic herbivore
Beelemodon Jurassic (unknown)
Bistahieversor Cretaceous carnivore
Brachiosaurus Jurassic/Cretaceous herbivore
Brachyceratops Cretaceous herbivore Only juvenile fossils found so far
Brachylophosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Brontoraptor Jurassic carnivore
Camarasaurus Jurassic herbivore
Camposaurus Triassic carnivore
Camptosaurus Jurassic/Cretaceous herbivore
Capitalsaurus Cretaceous carnivore
Caseosaurus Triassic carnivore
Cedarosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Cedarpelta Cretaceous herbivore
Cedrorestes Cretaceous herbivore
Centrosaurus Cretaceous herbivore Not to be confused with Kentrosaurus
Cerasinops Cretaceous herbivore
Ceratops Cretaceous herbivore
Ceratosaurus Jurassic carnivore
Chasmosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Chindesaurus Triassic carnivore
Chirostenotes Cretaceous carnivore
Cionodon Cretaceous herbivore
Claorhynchus Cretaceous herbivore Dubious, see article
Claosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Coahuilaceratops Cretaceous herbivore
Coelophysis Triassic carnivore
Coelurus Jurassic carnivore
Colepiocephale Cretaceous herbivore
Comanchesaurus Triassic (unknown)
Corythosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Dakotadon Cretaceous herbivore
Daspletosaurus Cretaceous carnivore
Deinodon Cretaceous carnivore Dubious, see article
Deinonychus Cretaceous carnivore Feathered
Diabloceratops Cretaceous herbivore
Diclonius Cretaceous herbivore
Dilophosaurus Jurassic carnivore
Diplodocus Jurassic herbivore
Diplotomodon Cretaceous carnivore
Dracorex Cretaceous herbivore A pachycephalosaur, synonymized with Pachycephalosaurus in 2006
Drinker Jurassic herbivore
Dromaeosaurus Cretaceous carnivore
Dromiceiomimus Cretaceous carnivore(?)
Dryosaurus Jurassic herbivore
Dryptosaurus Cretaceous carnivore
Dyoplosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Dysganus Cretaceous herbivore
Dyslocosaurus Jurassic herbivore
Dystrophaeus Jurassic herbivore
Edmarka Jurassic carnivore
Edmontonia Cretaceous herbivore
Edmontosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Einiosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Eobrontosaurus Jurassic herbivore
Eolambia Cretaceous herbivore
Eotriceratops Cretaceous herbivore
Epanterias Jurassic carnivore
Euoplocephalus Cretaceous herbivore
Falcarius Cretaceous (disputed) Apparently in the course of switching from carnivore to herbivore
Fruitadens Jurassic omnivore
Gargoyleosaurus Jurassic herbivore
Gastonia Cretaceous herbivore
Glishades Cretaceous herbivore
Glyptodontopelta Cretaceous herbivore
Gojirasaurus Triassic carnivore
Gorgosaurus Cretaceous carnivore
Gravitholus Cretaceous herbivore
Gryposaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Hadrosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Hagryphus Cretaceous carnivore
Hanssuesia Cretaceous herbivore
Haplocanthosaurus Jurassic herbivore
Hesperonychus Cretaceous carnivore
Hesperosaurus Jurassic herbivore
Hoplitosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Hypacrosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Hypsibema Cretaceous herbivore
Jeyawati Cretaceous herbivore
Kayentavenator Jurassic carnivore
Koparion Jurassic (unknown)
Kosmoceratops Cretaceous herbivore
Kritosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Labocania Cretaceous carnivore
Lambeosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Laosaurus Jurassic/Cretaceous herbivore
Leptoceratops Cretaceous herbivore
Lophorhothon Cretaceous herbivore
Madsenius Jurassic carnivore
Magulodon Cretaceous herbivore
Maiasaura Cretaceous herbivore
Marshosaurus Jurassic carnivore
Megapnosaurus Jurassic carnivore Formerly known as Syntarsus
Medusaceratops Cretaceous herbivore
Microcephale Cretaceous herbivore
Microvenator Cretaceous carnivore
Moabosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Mojoceratops Cretaceous herbivore
Monoclonius Cretaceous herbivore
Montanoceratops Cretaceous herbivore
Mymoorapelta Jurassic herbivore
Naashoibitosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Nanosaurus Jurassic herbivore (?)
Nanotyrannus Cretaceous carnivore
Nedcolbertia Cretaceous (unknown)
Nedoceratops Cretaceous herbivore
Niobrarasaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Nodocephalosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Nodosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Nothronychus Cretaceous herbivore
Ojoceratops Cretaceous herbivore
Orcomimus Cretaceous carnivore
Ornatotholus Cretaceous herbivore
Ornitholestes Jurassic carnivore
Ornithomimus Cretaceous herbivore
Orodromeus Cretaceous herbivore
Oryctodromeus Cretaceous herbivore
Othnielia Jurassic herbivore
Othnielosaurus Jurassic herbivore/omnivore
Pachycephalosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Pachyrhinosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Palaeopteryx Jurassic (unknown) Dubious, see article
Palaeoscincus Cretaceous herbivore
Paluxysaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Panoplosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Parasaurolophus Cretaceous herbivore
Parksosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Paronychodon Cretaceous carnivore
Pawpawsaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Peloroplites Cretaceous herbivore
Pentaceratops Cretaceous herbivore
Planicoxa Cretaceous herbivore
Pleurocoelus Cretaceous herbivore
Podokesaurus Jurassic carnivore
Polyonax Cretaceous herbivore
Prenoceratops Cretaceous herbivore
Priconodon Cretaceous herbivore
Prosaurolophus Cretaceous herbivore
Protoavis Triassic (unknown) Dubious, see article
Protohadros Cretaceous herbivore
Pteropelyx Cretaceous herbivore
Richardoestesia Cretaceous carnivore
Rubeosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Sarahsaurus Jurassic omnivore
Saurolophus Cretaceous herbivore
Sauropelta Cretaceous herbivore
Saurophaganax Jurassic carnivore
Sauroposeidon Cretaceous herbivore
Saurornitholestes Cretaceous carnivore
Scelidosaurus Jurassic herbivore
Scutellosaurus Jurassic herbivore
Segisaurus Jurassic carnivore
Seitaad Jurassic omnivore
Silvisaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Sonorasaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Sphaerotholus Cretaceous herbivore
Stegoceras Cretaceous herbivore
Stegopelta Cretaceous herbivore
Stegosaurus Jurassic herbivore
Stokesosaurus Jurassic carnivore
Struthiomimus Cretaceous herbivore/omnivore
Stygimoloch Cretaceous herbivore
Styracosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Supersaurus Jurassic herbivore
Suuwassea Jurassic herbivore
Tanycolagreus Jurassic carnivore
Tatankacephalus Cretaceous herbivore
Tatankaceratops Cretaceous herbivore
Tawa Triassic carnivore
Tenontosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Texacephale Cretaceous herbivore
Texasetes Cretaceous herbivore
Theiophytalia Cretaceous herbivore
Thescelosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Thespesius Cretaceous herbivore
Tichosteus Jurassic herbivore
Torosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Torvosaurus Jurassic carnivore
Trachodon Cretaceous herbivore Dubious, see article
Triceratops Cretaceous herbivore
Troodon Cretaceous carnivore Includes Stenonychosaurus.
Tyrannosaurus Cretaceous carnivore
Utahceratops Cretaceous herbivore
Utahraptor Cretaceous carnivore
Vagaceratops Cretaceous herbivore
Velafrons Cretaceous herbivore
Venenosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Wyomingraptor Jurassic carnivore
Zephyrosaurus Cretaceous herbivore
Zuniceratops Cretaceous herbivore

Key

Nomen dubium
Invalid
Nomen nudum

Timeline

This is a timeline of selected dinosaurs from the list above. Time is measured in Ma, megaannum, along the x-axis.

Criteria for inclusion

List Of North American Dinosaurs Media

Notes

  1. Diet is sometimes hard to determine for dinosaurs and should be considered a "best guess"