Dinosaur genus

Rhabdodon

Matheron 1869

Rhabdodon is a dinosaur genus known from bones, found in rocks 83.6–66 million years old, in 4 countries, most often France and Spain.

Confidence labels

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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

83.6–66 Ma

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114366

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: Matheron 1869
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Described in: P. Matheron (1869). Notice sur les reptiles fossiles des dépôts fluvio-lacustres crétacés du bassin à lignite de Fuveau [Notice on the fossil reptiles from the Cretaceous fluvio-lacustrine deposits of the lignitic Fuveau Basin]. Mémoires de l'Académie des Sciences, Belles-Lettres, et Arts de Marseille 1868–1869: 345–379.
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; its author and year match the naming authority (Matheron 1869).
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.
Lived: Campanian to Maastrichtian, 83.6–66 million years ago
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Omnisaura calculation83.6–66 million years ago, from its dated fossil records
medium
medium: Omnisaura's calculation from 32 confirmed PBDB records.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Fossils found in: Austria
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
France
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (21 records).
Spain
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (8 records).
Romania
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
mixed
mixed: Levels differ between entries; each has its own.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: Union of all sources (ISO 3166).
Rock formations: 13, including Grès à Reptiles, Marnes Rouges Inférieures, Grès de Labarre and Vitoria
mixed
mixed: Levels differ between entries; each has its own.
Show all 13, each with its confidence
Grunbach Formation
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
Grès de Labarre
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
Grès à Reptiles
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (4 records).
Marnes Rouges Inférieures
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (3 records).
Vitoria
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
Argiles et Grès à Reptiles
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Argiles rutilantes
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Figuerola
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Saint-Chinian
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Sedano
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Sierra Perenchiza
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Sînpetru
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Villalba de la Sierra
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: Canonical names, automatic and editor-approved matches applied.
Family: Rhabdodontidae
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Parent group: Rhabdodontidae
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Species named in its records: Rhabdodon priscum, Rhabdodon priscus
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database (the species its fossil records are identified as).
Older or other names: Oligosaurus (a junior synonym); Ornithomerus (a junior synonym)
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database (names it treats as this genus).
Diet: herbivore (inferred for its group)
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this, and it infers it for the whole of Ornithopoda, 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, gregarious (inferred for its group)
low
low: PBDB infers this way of life for the whole of Ornithischia; 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

Type species: no source we use gives it yet.
Order: 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: 5 fossil records left out: identified only tentatively (for example "cf.", "?" or the name in quotation marks).
Resting on one source: 5 facts come from a single source with nothing against them (rated medium): authority (PBDB); parent group (PBDB); family (PBDB); age (headline) (PBDB); 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 Rhabdodon meet ?

Same time, different places. Their fossils overlap in age, 83.6 to 66 million years ago, but no rock formation holds both.

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 Rhabdodon 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 19

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

Megaloolithus Telmatosaurus Zalmoxes Ampelosaurus Cairanoolithus Struthiosaurus Arcovenator Elopteryx Ferenceratops Lirainosaurus Petrustitan Prismatoolithus Ageroolithus Magyarosaurus Montanoolithus Obelignathusand 3 more

Found in France 14

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

Megaloolithus Cairanoolithus Prismatoolithus Ampelosaurus Canardia Fusioolithus Variraptor Arcovenator Atsinganosaurus Montanoolithus Obelignathus Pyroraptor Struthiosaurus Telmatosaurus

Where its fossils were found

28 fossil sites, with present-day and ancient positions

Open the map at this time

Cite this page

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

What's changed

19 Oct 2026
Fossils found in: added Austria.
19 Oct 2026
Rock formations: removed Sebeş.
19 Oct 2026
Fossils found in: confidence medium → mixed.

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

1 openly licensed picture of Rhabdodon on Wikimedia Commons and museum sites, each with its own author and licence.

Rhabdodon by Tom Parker.png
Tomopteryx, CC BY-SA 3.0

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.