Cretaceous
Paranthodon
Paranthodon africanus
The catalogue presents Paranthodon as a herbivore member of Stegosauridae that lived during the Cretaceous, between 133.9–130.0 Ma. Its estimated range is 5.0 m in length and 1.0–2.0 t in mass, giving a practical sense of scale. Reference material comes from Kirkwood Formation, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Size and mass are approximations and may change with new fossils or methods.
Evidence-backed summary
For Paranthodon, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Nopcsa (1929).
The PBDB places it in Stegosauridae, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Stegosauridae.
- PBDB · taxon.parent
- Stegosauridae
In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range runs from the Berriasian to the Valanginian.
The PBDB catalogues 1 occurrence, with material from the Kirkwood Formation (1). Provenance: South Africa.
The catalogue records the holotype as BMNH R4995 and the type locality as “Kirkwood Formation, Eastern Cape, South Africa”.
- BMNH R4995
- Kirkwood Formation, Eastern Cape, South Africa
The catalogue's reference measurements are 5.0 m in length and 1.0–2.0 t in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.
- 5.0 m
- 1.0-2.0 tons
The record gathers 23 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
- 5.0 m
- Weight
- 1.0–2.0 t
- Period
- Cretaceous
- Time range
- 133.9–130.0 Ma
Discovery Information
- First Discovery
- 1929
- Described by
- Nopcsa
Taxonomic Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Ornithischia
- Family
- Stegosauridae
- Genus
- Paranthodon
- Species
- P. africanus
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
- BMNH R4995
- Type locality
- Kirkwood Formation, Eastern Cape, South Africa