Dinosaur genus
Syntarsus
Syntarsus is a dinosaur genus known from bones, found in rocks 205.7–184.2 million years old, in the United States, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
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- Named by
- Raath 1969
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
- Described in
- M. A. Raath (1969). A new coelurosaurian dinosaur from the Forest Sandstone of Rhodesia. Arnoldia (Rhodesia) 4(28): 1–254.
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; its author and year match the naming authority (Raath 1969).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
- Rhaetian to Pliensbachian, 205.7–184.2 million years ago
disputed
low: Sources disagree and an editor has not ruled yet.Omnisaura calculation205.7–184.2 million years ago, from its dated fossil recordsmedium
medium: Omnisaura's calculation from 10 confirmed PBDB records.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
- Fossils found in
- South AfricaUnited States
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (4 records).Zimbabwemedium
medium: Only PBDB records it (6 records).disputed
low: NHM records it here but PBDB has no record in this country; awaiting an editor.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
- Elliot FormationKayenta
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (4 records).Forest Sandstonemedium
medium: Only PBDB records it (5 records).Moenavedisputed
low: Only NHM gives this name and it matches no PBDB formation; awaiting an editor.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: Canonical names, automatic and editor-approved matches applied.
- Parent group
- Coelophysoidea
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
- Syntarsus kayentakatae
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database (the species its fossil records are identified as).
- Diet
- carnivore (inferred for its group)
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this, and it infers it for the whole of Theropoda, 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).
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.
- 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: 1 fossil record left out: identified only tentatively (for example "cf.", "?" or the name in quotation marks).
- Resting on one source: 4 facts come from a single source with nothing against them (rated medium): name (PBDB); authority (PBDB); parent group (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
3 openAge
- 205.7–184.2 MaPBDB
- 237–201.4 MaNHM specimens
The ages of the records reach well beyond the published range. An editor hasn't ruled yet, so this is rated low until they do.
Formations
- records nothing herePBDB
- Forest SandstoneNHM
One source names a formation the other does not. An editor hasn't ruled yet, so this is rated low until they do.
Countries
- US, ZAPBDB
- ZimbabweNHM
One source records a country the other does not. An editor hasn't ruled yet, so this is rated low until they do.
Did it meet…?
No. Syntarsus had gone at least 100.6 million years before Tyrannosaurus appears in the fossil record, a longer gap than the 66 million years between Tyrannosaurus and today.
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 Syntarsus 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 25
Genera found in the same rock units, from rocks of overlapping age, the most shared fossil sites first.
Found in United States 31
Other genera found in United States, from rocks of overlapping age, the most fossil sites there first.
Credits
Where this page comes from
- Paleobiology DatabaseCC BY 4.0 · fossil records, ages, classification
- Natural History Museum Data PortalCC0 1.0 · catalogued specimens
- 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.