Dinosaur genus

Paronychodon

Cope 1876

Paronychodon is a dinosaur genus known from bones, found in rocks 100.5–66 million years old, in 5 countries, most often the United States and Canada.

Confidence labels

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How sure are we?5 high19 medium11 lowHow we rate confidence

Confidence labels are switched off. Facts with low confidence, or where sources disagree, still carry a small dot: tap it for the reason.

At a glance

Data as of 11 October 2026

100.5–66 Ma

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114366

Solid: the ages of its dated fossils, 100.5–66 million years ago (Omnisaura's calculation). Pale: the published range, 154.8–66 million years ago, which also counts records Omnisaura leaves out.

The last non-bird dinosaurs died out 66 million years ago. That's as far from us as the end of this bar.

Named by: Cope 1876
high
high: PBDB and Wikidata agree.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Described in: E. D. Cope (1876). Descriptions of some vertebrate remains from the Fort Union Beds of Montana. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 28: 248–261.
high
high: PBDB gives this publication for the name; its author and year match the naming authority (Cope 1876), on which PBDB and Wikidata agree.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. The publication the Paleobiology Database gives as the authority for this genus name, usually the one that first named and described it.
Type species: Paronychodon lacustris
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Lived: Kimmeridgian to Maastrichtian, 154.8–66 million years ago
high
high: PBDB and NHM agree.
Omnisaura calculation100.5–66 million years ago, from its dated fossil records
medium
medium: Omnisaura's calculation from 105 confirmed PBDB records.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Fossils found in: United States
high
high: NHM and PBDB both record it.
Canada
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (44 records).
Romania
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (3 records).
Uzbekistan
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (7 records).
Portugal
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
mixed
mixed: Levels differ between entries; each has its own.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Union of all sources (ISO 3166).
Rock formations: 21, including Hell Creek Formation, Dinosaur Park, Oldman and Lance Formation
mixed
mixed: Levels differ between entries; each has its own.
Show all 21, each with its confidence
Lance Formation
high
high: NHM and PBDB both record it.
Bissekty
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (5 records).
Dinosaur Park
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (14 records).
Ferris
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (5 records).
Foremost
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
Fruitland
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
Hell Creek Formation
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (28 records).
Horseshoe Canyon
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (3 records).
Khodzhakul
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
Mesaverde
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
Milk River
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (9 records).
Oldman
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (16 records).
Argilas de Aveiro
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Cedar Mountain
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Densuș-Ciula
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Fruitland/Kirtland
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Judith River Formation
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Râul Mare
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Sînpetru
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Two Medicine
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Williams Fork
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Canonical names, automatic and editor-approved matches applied.
Parent group: Paraves
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Order: Saurischia
medium
medium: Only NHM gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Gap filled from NHM.
Species named in its records: Paronychodon asiaticus, Paronychodon lacustris
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database (the species its fossil records are identified as).
Older or other names: Euronychodon (a junior synonym); Tripriodon (a junior synonym)
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database (names it treats as this genus).
Diet: carnivore (inferred for its group)
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this, and it infers it for the whole of Coelurosauria, the group this genus belongs to, not from this genus's own fossils.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB, inferred from a group the genus belongs to.
Way of life: ground dwelling, solitary (inferred for its group)
low
low: PBDB infers this way of life for the whole of Theropoda; behaviour is rarely known for one genus.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB, inferred from a group the genus belongs to.
Known from: Bones
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database (what the name was based on).

Sources: Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0), Natural History Museum Data Portal (CC0 1.0), Wikidata (CC0 1.0)Confidence levels and gaps are Omnisaura's own assessment.

Gaps are answers

What isn't known yet

Family: no source we use gives it yet.
Common names: no source we use gives it yet.
What it was named after: no source we use gives it yet.
Held back: 36 fossil records left out: identified only tentatively (for example "cf.", "?" or the name in quotation marks).
Held back: 1 fossil record left out: identified only to a broader group, not to this genus.
Resting on one source: 4 facts come from a single source with nothing against them (rated medium): type species (PBDB); parent group (PBDB); order (NHM); diet (PBDB).

Size and appearance aren't covered yet, and diet and way of life only as PBDB infers them for the wider group. Omnisaura leaves the rest out rather than guess.

Where sources disagree

None open. Where our sources overlap, they agree on everything shown here.

Did it meet…?

Did Paronychodon meet ?

Yes. Both are found, identified to species, in the same rocks of the same age: Ferris, Hell Creek, Lance.

Going by the ages and rock formations of their dated fossils, as on the map. Compare their fossil sites on the map.

Connections

Genera linked to Paronychodon by where and when their fossils were found, by classification and by who named them. Select a name to open its page.

Same rocks, same time 122

Genera found in the same rock units, from rocks of overlapping age, the most shared fossil sites first.

Triceratops Richardoestesia Saurornitholestes Troodon Edmontosaurus Tyrannosaurus Centrosaurus Dromaeosaurus Thescelosaurus Pachycephalosaurus Corythosaurus Stegoceras Chirostenotes Albertosaurus Chasmosaurus Ornithomimusand 106 more

Same parent group: Paraves 2

Other genera in Paraves with a full profile.

Caihong Changzhousaurus

Named by Cope 5

Genera whose naming authority includes the same surname. The authority has no initials, so different people who share a surname can appear together.

Amphicoelias Camarasaurus Coelophysis Monoclonius Zapsalis

Found in United States 124

Other genera found in United States, from rocks of overlapping age, the most fossil sites there first.

Triceratops Tyrannosaurus Richardoestesia Edmontosaurus Thescelosaurus Saurornitholestes Troodon Pachycephalosaurus Alamosaurus Stegoceras Dromaeosaurus Ornithomimus Kritosaurus Agujaceratops Chirostenotes Tenontosaurusand 108 more

Where its fossils were found

74 fossil sites, with present-day and ancient positions

Open the map at this time

Cite this page

Omnisaura (2026). Paronychodon. Future Sailors. https://www.omnisaura.com/genera/paronychodon. Data as of 11 October 2026.

What's changed

19 Oct 2026
Rock formations: removed Kirtland.

Every change to Omnisaura

Use this data

Download this genus as JSON With every source and licence attached. Also recorded in: Paleobiology Database · Wikipedia (English) · GBIF · Wikidata Spotted a problem? Tell us

Pictures

2 openly licensed pictures of Paronychodon on Wikimedia Commons and museum sites, each with its own author and licence.

Paronychodon.png
Thomas E. Williamson, Stephen L. Brusatte, CC BY 2.5
NHM-UK_P_DF118_03_24_0193
The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London, CC BY 4.0

Credits

Where this page comes from

Paleobiology DatabaseCC BY 4.0 · fossil records, ages, classification
Natural History Museum Data PortalCC0 1.0 · catalogued specimens
WikidataCC0 1.0 · names and identifiers
OmnisauraOmnisaura editorial · confidence levels and gaps
PaleoMAP PaleoCoastlines (Kocsis and Scotese 2021)CC BY 4.0 · ancient coastlines on the small map
Natural EarthPublic domain · today's coastlines

Pictures linked from this page are credited beside each one, with their own licences; the full list is in the JSON download.