Open Paleo

Zephyrosaurus

Sues, 1980 ZEF-i-ro-SAWR-us

Named after Zephyros (the Greek god of the west wind), combined with Greek sauros meaning 'lizard'; translates as 'westward wind lizard,' referencing its discovery in western North America

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

Zephyrosaurus is a genus of orodromine ornithischian dinosaur based on a partial skull and postcranial fragments discovered in the Early Cretaceous (Aptian-Albian) Cloverly Formation of Carbon County, Montana, USA. New remains are under description, and tracks from Maryland and Virginia, also in the US, have been attributed to animals similar to Zephyrosaurus.

Species

Zephyrosaurus schaffi Sues, 1980

Type species

Named for Charles R. Schaff, who discovered the type specimen in the Cloverly Formation of Montana.

Holotype
MCZ 4392 , Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University
Material
Jaw fragments, braincase and associated bones, partial vertebrae, and rib fragments
Horizon
Cloverly Formation, Aptian, Early Cretaceous , 121.4–113.2 million years ago
Locality
Montana, United States

References

  1. Sues, H. D. (1980). Anatomy and relationships of a new hypsilophodontid dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of North America. Palaeontographica Abteilung A 169(1-3): 51-72. sues1980a
  2. Paul, G. S. (2024). The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs (3rd ed.). Princeton University Press.

    Source of the mass estimate.

    paul2024a
  3. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Ornithischians. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the appearance features.

    jones2026a