Jurassic
Heterodontosaurus
Heterodontosaurus tucki
The catalogue presents Heterodontosaurus as a omnivore member of Heterodontosauridae that lived during the Jurassic, between 200 Ma. Its estimated range is 1.75 m in length and 3 kg in mass, giving a practical sense of scale. Reference material comes from Eastern Cape, South Africa. Size and mass are approximations and may change with new fossils or methods.
Evidence-backed summary
For Heterodontosaurus, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Crompton and Charig (1962).
The PBDB places it in Heterodontosaurinae, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Heterodontosauridae.
- PBDB · taxon.parent
- Heterodontosauridae
In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range runs from the Hettangian to the Pliensbachian.
The PBDB catalogues 4 occurrences, with material from the Elliot Formation (3) and from the Clarens Formation (1). Provenance: South Africa.
The catalogue records the holotype as SAM-PK-K337 and the type locality as “Eastern Cape, South Africa”.
- SAM-PK-K337
- Eastern Cape, South Africa
The catalogue's reference measurements are 1.75 m in length and 3 kg in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.
- 1.75 m
- 3 kg
The record gathers 54 bibliographic references registered in the PBDB, listed below.
Where it lived
Fossil occurrences on today’s map and in the tectonic reconstruction.
Positions reconstructed by PBDB/GPlates, not observed; this is not an exact habitat map.
Artistic 3D reconstruction
There is no approved species-specific 3D model yet. Generic anatomy will not be presented as if it were evidence.
Physical Specifications
- Length
- 1.75 m
- Weight
- 3 kg
- Period
- Jurassic
- Time range
- 200 Ma
Discovery Information
- First Discovery
- 1962
- Described by
- Crompton & Charig
Taxonomic Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Ornithischia
- Family
- Heterodontosauridae
- Genus
- Heterodontosaurus
- Species
- H. tucki
Data status
Taxonomic name matched to PBDB and checked on 2026-08-08.
Taxonomic linkage does not automatically validate size, mass, behaviour or appearance.
- Type specimen
- SAM-PK-K337
- Type locality
- Eastern Cape, South Africa