Dinosaur fossils in the United States
The Paleobiology Database records 5,420 non-avian dinosaur finds in the United States, from 252 genera. The oldest is Krzyzanowskisaurus hunti from the Carnian age, about 237 million years old. The youngest is Ankylosaurus magniventris from the Late Maastrichtian age, as young as about 66 million years. Ages are the range the database gives for the rocks, so a find can be tens of millions of years across.
- 5,420finds
- 252genera
- 237oldest, million years ago
- 66youngest, million years ago
It ranks 1st of 93 countries on the map by number of finds. The most recorded dinosaurs are Triceratops (149), Allosaurus (137) and Camarasaurus (134). The rock formation with the most finds is called Morrison, with 1,140.
Which dinosaurs were found in the United States?
The genera with the most finds here:
| Dinosaur | Finds |
|---|---|
| Triceratops | 149 |
| Allosaurus | 137 |
| Camarasaurus | 134 |
| Richardoestesia | 104 |
| Stegosaurus | 83 |
| Tenontosaurus | 83 |
| Tyrannosaurus | 78 |
| Paronychodon | 69 |
| Apatosaurus | 67 |
| Diplodocus | 66 |
Rock formations with dinosaur finds in the United States
| Formation | Finds |
|---|---|
| Morrison | 1,140 |
| Hell Creek | 732 |
| Lance | 290 |
| Fruitland/Kirtland | 258 |
| Cloverly | 223 |
| Kirtland | 222 |
| Aguja | 211 |
| Two Medicine | 183 |
| Cedar Mountain | 177 |
| Judith River | 161 |
US states with dinosaur finds
- Wyoming (1,040)
- Montana (985)
- New Mexico (832)
- Utah (602)
- Colorado (484)
- Texas (448)
- North Dakota (237)
- Arizona (167)
- South Dakota (167)
- New Jersey (70)
- Oklahoma (62)
- Maryland (55)
- Idaho (49)
- Alaska (41)
- Nevada (25)
- North Carolina (23)
- Alabama (18)
- Mississippi (16)
- South Carolina (16)
- California (13)
- Kansas (13)
- Connecticut (10)
- Arkansas (8)
- Delaware (7)
- Massachusetts (6)
- Georgia (4)
- Missouri (4)
- District of Columbia (3)
- Iowa (3)
- Oregon (3)
- Nebraska (2)
- Pennsylvania (2)
- Minnesota (1)
- Tennessee (1)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (1)
Other countries to explore
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.