Cretaceous
Nodosaurus
Nodosaurus textilis
The catalogue presents Nodosaurus as a herbivore member of Nodosauridae that lived during the Cretaceous, between 100.5–94.0 Ma. Its estimated range is 4.0–6.0 m in length and 1.8–3.5 t in mass, giving a practical sense of scale. Reference material comes from Frontier Formation, Wyoming, USA. Size and mass are approximations and may change with new fossils or methods.
Evidence-backed summary
For Nodosaurus, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Marsh (1889).
The PBDB places it in Nodosauridae, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Nodosauridae.
- PBDB · taxon.parent
- Nodosauridae
In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range runs from the Cenomanian to the Maastrichtian.
The PBDB catalogues 1 occurrence, with material from the Frontier Formation (1). Provenance: United States.
The catalogue records the holotype as YPM 1815 and the type locality as “Frontier Formation, Wyoming, USA”.
- YPM 1815
- Frontier Formation, Wyoming, USA
The catalogue's reference measurements are 4.0–6.0 m in length and 1.8–3.5 t in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.
- 4.0-6.0 m
- 1.8-3.5 tons
The record gathers 49 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
- 4.0–6.0 m
- Weight
- 1.8–3.5 t
- Period
- Cretaceous
- Time range
- 100.5–94.0 Ma
Discovery Information
- First Discovery
- 1889
- Described by
- Othniel Charles Marsh
Taxonomic Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Ornithischia
- Family
- Nodosauridae
- Genus
- Nodosaurus
- Species
- N. textilis
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
- YPM 1815
- Type locality
- Frontier Formation, Wyoming, USA