Nevadadromeus
"Nevada runner"
- Lived
- 101 to 94 million years ago, Late Cretaceous
- Diet
- Herbivore
- Group
- Early ornithischians, Thescelosauridae
- Found in
- United States
- Named by
- Bonde et al. 2022
Where its fossils were found
The evidence
Today
95 million years ago
Habitat
The Willow Tank Formation records a floodplain crossed by rivers in what is now Nevada. The climate was seasonally dry, and fossil plants include ferns.
Field notes
About Nevadadromeus
What it was like
Nevadadromeus was a small plant eater that ran on two legs, related to Orodromeus. It is known from part of the legs and backbone.
Its world
It lived about 101 to 94 million years ago, in the Late Cretaceous, in what is now Nevada. It comes from the Willow Tank Formation.
How it was found
Bonde and colleagues named Nevadadromeus in 2022. It is the first dinosaur named from Nevada.
Field gallery
More views of Nevadadromeus
Scenes reconstructed from the available fossil evidence.
The evidence
The science behind Nevadadromeus
Which parts of the picture come from its own bones, and which come from its relatives.
From its own fossils
- The known bones include the upper ends of the thigh bones, vertebrae, toe bones and fragments of hardened tendons.
- A deep notch separates the muscle attachment processes near the top of the thigh bone.
Borrowed from relatives
- The missing head, arms and much of the body are restored by comparison with Thescelosaurus and Orodromeus.
Still unknown
- Its full body size and proportions.
- Its skin covering and color.
- Whether it dug burrows like Oryctodromeus.
Discovery timeline
- 2007Close relativeVarricchio, Martin & Katsura
- 2015Family treeBoyd
- 2022Named itBonde et al.
Key papers
The research behind what we know of Nevadadromeus
Close relative
Found an adult Oryctodromeus and young inside a burrow, showing that a relative of Nevadadromeus dug underground shelters.
First trace and body fossil evidence of a burrowing, denning dinosaur. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 274: 1361-1368
Read the paper : First trace and body fossil evidence of a burrowing, denning dinosaur (opens in a new tab)Family tree
Separated the small plant eaters related to Thescelosaurus and Orodromeus into distinct branches of the dinosaur family tree.
The systematic relationships and biogeographic history of ornithischian dinosaurs. PeerJ 3: e1523
Read the paper : The systematic relationships and biogeographic history of ornithischian dinosaurs (opens in a new tab)Named it
Described fragmentary limb and backbone remains and used the thigh bones to identify a new small plant eater.
Nevadadromeus schmitti (gen. et sp. nov.), a New Basal Neornithischian with Affinities to the Thescelosaurinae, from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Willow Tank Formation of Southern Nevada. Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science 50
Read the paper : Nevadadromeus schmitti (gen. et sp. nov.), a New Basal Neornithischian with Affinities to the Thescelosaurinae, from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Willow Tank Formation of Southern Nevada (opens in a new tab)
Close relatives
Other members of Thescelosauridae
Sources: Wikidata