Subfamily
Valid Extinct

Heterodontosaurinae

Sereno 2012

Heterodontosauridae is a family of ornithischian dinosaurs that were likely among the most basal (primitive) members of the group. Their phylogenetic placement is uncertain but they are most commonly found outside of the group Genasauria. Although their fossils are relatively rare and their group small in numbers, they have been found on all continents except Australia and Antarctica, with a range spanning the Early Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous.

Temporal range
Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous
Paleogene
Neogene
252 201 145 66 0 Ma
PBDB occurrences
17
Group
Dinosaures
Herbivore Ground dwelling, gregarious Terrestrial
Heterodontosaurinae
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Wikimedia
PBDB ↗ Wikipedia ↗
Classification
Dinosauria Unranked clade
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Ornithischia Unranked clade
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Parapredentata Unranked clade
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Saphornithischia Unranked clade
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Prionodontia Unranked clade
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Heterodontosauridae Family
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Heterodontosaurinae Subfamily
Fossil sites 17 geolocated sites
Distribution
Top countries
🇿🇦 South Africa
11
🇦🇷 Argentina
3
🇱🇸 Lesotho
2
🇲🇽 Mexico
1
Geological formations
Elliot
8
Clarens
3
Cañadón Asfalto
2
Laguna Colorada
1
La Boca
1
Temporal distribution
Toarcian (184.2–174.7 Ma)
2
Pliensbachian (192.9–184.2 Ma)
3
Sinemurian (199.5–192.9 Ma)
11
Norian (227.3–205.7 Ma)
1
Images 1
Bibliography
Original description
P. C. Sereno. 2012. Taxonomy, morphology, masticatory function and phylogeny of heterodontosaurid dinosaurs. Zookeys 226:1-225 DOI ↗
Bibliography (13)
M. G. Becerra, D. Pol, and L. B. Porro, A. Paulina-Carabajal, O. W. M. Rauhut. 2023. Craniomandibular osteology of Manidens condorensis (Ornithischia: Heterodontosauridae) from the upper Lower Jurassic of Argentina. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 42(3):e2181087:1-48 DOI ↗
B. M. Weiss, J. Botha, and J. N. Choiniere. 2022. Limb bone histology of theropod dinosaurs from the Early Jurassic of South Africa. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 42(2):e2145901:1-9 DOI ↗
P.-E. Dieudonné, P. Cruzado-Caballero, and P. Godefroit, T. Tortosa. 2020. A new phylogeny of cerapodan dinosaurs. Historical Biology DOI ↗
P. C. Sereno. 2012. Taxonomy, morphology, masticatory function and phylogeny of heterodontosaurid dinosaurs. Zookeys 226:1-225 DOI ↗
D. B. Norman, A. W. Crompton, and R. J. Butler, L. B. Porro, A. J. Charig. 2011. The Lower Jurassic ornithischian dinosaur Heterodontosaurus tucki Crompton & Charig, 1962: cranial anatomy, functional morphology, taxonomy, and relationships. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 163:182-276 DOI ↗
D. Pol, O. W. M. Rauhut, and M. Becerra. 2011. A Middle Jurassic heterodontosaurid dinosaur from Patagonia and the evolution of heterodontosaurids. Naturwissenschaften 98:369-379 DOI ↗
L. B. Porro, R. J. Butler, and P. M. Barrett, S. Moore-Fay, R. L. Abel. 2011. New heterodontosaurid specimens from the Lower Jurassic of southern Africa and the early ornithischian dinosaur radiation. Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 101:351-366 DOI ↗
J. M. Clark, M. Montellano, and J. A. Hopson, R. Hernandez, D. E. Fastovsky. 1994. An Early or Middle Jurassic tetrapod assemblage from the La Boca Formation, northeastern Mexico. In the Shadow of the Dinosaurs: Early Mesozoic Tetrapods
J. W. Kitching and M. A. Raath. 1984. Fossils from the Elliot and Clarens Formations (Karoo Sequence) of the northeastern Cape, Orange Free State and Lesotho, and a suggested biozonation based on tetrapods. Palaeontologia Africana 25:111-125
C. E. Gow. 1975. A new heterodontosaurid from the Redbeds of South Africa showing clear evidence of tooth replacement. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 57:335-339 DOI ↗
R. A. Thulborn. 1974. A new heterodontosaurid dinosaur (Reptilia: Ornithischia) from the Upper Triassic red beds of Lesotho. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 55:151-175 DOI ↗
A. W. Crompton and A. J. Charig. 1962. A new ornithischian from the Upper Triassic of South Africa. Nature 196:1074-1077 DOI ↗
S. H. Haughton. 1924. The fauna and stratigraphy of the Stormberg Series. Annals of the South African Museum 12:323-497