Open Paleo

Venenosaurus

Tidwell et al., 2001 ven-EN-o-SOR-uhs /vɛˌnɛnoʊˈsɔːrəs/

From the Poison Strip Sandstone Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation (Latin venenum, 'poison') where the fossils were found, plus Greek sauros ('lizard'), meaning 'poison lizard'

121.4–113.2 million years ago Aptian, Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous stages

Venenosaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived in what is now Utah during the Early Cretaceous. Its type and only species is Venenosaurus dicrocei. Fossils of Venenosaurus were first discovered in 1998, by Denver Museum of Natural History volunteer Anthony DiCroce, and described as a new genus and species in 2001 by Virginia Tidwell and colleagues, who named the species for DiCroce. Venenosaurus was a relatively small sauropod, and was similar to Cedarosaurus, another sauropod from the Early Cretaceous of Utah.

Diagnosis

  1. Proximal caudal centrum with convex anterior surface and flat posterior surface, unique among known sauropods
  2. Neural spines of middle caudals incline anteriorly and rest on amphiplatyan centra, unique combination in Titanosauriformes
  3. Anterior and middle caudals with deep lateral fossae, subdivided into two chambers by internal ridge
  4. Radius more slender than other taxa except Cedarosaurus
  5. Ulna with expanded medial wall and well-developed medial process
  6. Metacarpal I proximal end more slender anteroposteriorly than other sauropods
  7. Pubis longer than ischium

Species

Venenosaurus dicrocei Tidwell et al., 2001

Type species

Named for Anthony DiCroce, the Denver Museum of Natural History volunteer who discovered the fossil site.

Holotype
DMNS 40932 , Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Material
Nine disarticulated caudal vertebrae, left scapula, right radius, left ulna, five metacarpals, four manus phalanges, right pubis, left and right ischium, three metatarsals, astragalus, chevrons, and ribs.
Horizon
Poison Strip Sandstone Member, Cedar Mountain Formation, Aptian, Early Cretaceous , 121.4–113.2 million years ago
Locality
Tony's Bone Bed, Utah, United States

References

  1. Tidwell, V.; Carpenter, K.; Meyer, S. (2001). A new titanosauriform (Sauropoda) from the Poison Strip Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation (Lower Cretaceous), Utah. Mesozoic Vertebrate Life: New Research Inspired by the Paleontology of Philip J. Currie (Tanke, D. H.; Carpenter, K., eds.) 139-165. Indiana University Press, Bloomington. tidwell2001a
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Sauropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the hip height estimate.

    jones2026b