Cretaceous
Irritator
Irritator challengeri
The catalogue presents Irritator as a carnivore member of Spinosauridae that lived during the Cretaceous, between 113.0–100.5 Ma. Its estimated range is 6.0–8.0 m in length and 1.0–1.5 t in mass, giving a practical sense of scale. Reference material comes from Santana Formation, Brazil. Size and mass are approximations and may change with new fossils or methods.
Evidence-backed summary
For Irritator, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Martill et al. (1996).
The PBDB places it in Spinosaurinae, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Spinosauridae.
- PBDB · taxon.parent
- Spinosauridae
In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range is the Aptian.
The PBDB catalogues 1 occurrence, with material from the Romualdo Formation (1). Provenance: Brazil.
The catalogue records the holotype as SMNS 58022 and the type locality as “Santana Formation, Brazil”.
- SMNS 58022
- Santana Formation, Brazil
The catalogue's reference measurements are 6.0–8.0 m in length and 1.0–1.5 t in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.
- 6.0-8.0 m
- 1.0-1.5 tons
The record gathers 24 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
- 6.0–8.0 m
- Weight
- 1.0–1.5 t
- Period
- Cretaceous
- Time range
- 113.0–100.5 Ma
Discovery Information
- First Discovery
- 1996
- Described by
- David Martill
Taxonomic Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Saurischia
- Family
- Spinosauridae
- Genus
- Irritator
- Species
- I. challengeri
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
- SMNS 58022
- Type locality
- Santana Formation, Brazil