Dakotadon

Dakotadon was first thought to be a species of Iguanodon, but in 2008 scientist Gregory S. Paul gave it its own genus name.1

The only known fossil of Dakotadon is a partial skull and some vertebrae, found by a family who kept it in their garage for years.1

Dakotadon had a long, low skull with large nostril openings and a deep maxillary process of the premaxilla, making it more primitive than other iguanodonts.2

Scientists are not sure exactly how old the Dakotadon fossil is, but it likely lived during the late Valanginian to early Barremian stages of the Early Cretaceous.1

The name Dakotadon honors the Lakota people and the Dakota region where the fossil was discovered.1

Dakotadon's skull shows it had 19 tooth positions in its upper jaw, which is fewer than some related dinosaurs.2