Paronychodon

What it was like

Paronychodon is a name given to small, distinctive teeth, flat on one side and marked with long ridges. No skeleton has ever been found with these teeth, so no one knows what the animal looked like.

The teeth were probably shed by small, feathered meat eaters, perhaps relatives of Troodon or other bird-like dinosaurs. Many scientists think the name covers teeth from several different animals.

Its world

Teeth of this kind have been found in Late Cretaceous rocks across western North America, in places such as Montana, Wyoming and Alberta. They come from the Hell Creek, Lance and Dinosaur Park formations, among others.

How it was found

Cope named Paronychodon in 1876, from teeth found in Montana. More than a hundred finds have since been placed in the genus, but since it is based only on teeth, most scientists treat it as doubtful.