Dinosaur fossils in Dorset
The Paleobiology Database records 126 non-avian dinosaur finds in Dorset, from 13 genera. The oldest is Scelidosaurus from the Rhaetian age, about 205.7 million years old. The youngest is Iguanodon from the Late Hauterivian age, as young as about 121.4 million years. Ages are the range the database gives for the rocks, so a find can be tens of millions of years across.
- 126finds
- 13genera
- 205.7oldest, million years ago
- 121.4youngest, million years ago
It ranks 2nd of 28 UK counties on the map by number of finds, with 19% of the finds in the UK. The most recorded dinosaurs are Scelidosaurus (11), Iguanodon (7) and Echinodon (4). The rock formation with the most finds is called Durlston, with 36.
Which dinosaurs were found in Dorset?
The genera with the most finds here:
| Dinosaur | Finds |
|---|---|
| Scelidosaurus | 11 |
| Iguanodon | 7 |
| Echinodon | 4 |
| Megalosaurus | 4 |
| Nuthetes | 4 |
| Owenodon | 2 |
| Duriatitan | 1 |
| Duriavenator | 1 |
| Hylaeosaurus | 1 |
| Juratyrant | 1 |
The Jurassic Coast
The Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site along the Dorset and east Devon coast. It is best known for marine reptiles such as ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs and for ammonites. Those are not dinosaurs, so they are not on this map. The finds counted on this page are the dinosaurs recorded in Dorset.
Rock formations with dinosaur finds in Dorset
| Formation | Finds |
|---|---|
| Durlston | 36 |
| Lulworth | 28 |
| Kimmeridge Clay | 16 |
| Charmouth Mudstone | 12 |
| Forest Marble | 9 |
| Oxford Clay | 4 |
| Portland Stone | 4 |
| Ashdown | 3 |
| Weald Clay | 3 |
| Blue Lias | 1 |
Other UK counties to explore
- Isle of Wight (128)
- East Sussex (66)
- Oxfordshire (54)
- West Sussex (46)
- Cambridgeshire (44)
- North Yorkshire (37)
- Ross and Cromarty (36)
- Gloucestershire (29)
- Wiltshire (17)
- Kent (10)
See the sea floor where marine reptiles swam: oceanfloormap.com →
Before you go fossil hunting. A dot shows where a find was recorded, not where you may dig. Many fossil sites are on private or protected land and collecting rules differ by country. Check the rules before collecting and never dig on protected sites.