Cretaceous
Tenontosaurus
Tenontosaurus tilletti
The catalogue presents Tenontosaurus as a herbivore member of Tenontosauridae that lived during the Cretaceous, between 115.0–108.0 Ma. Its estimated range is 6.5–8.0 m in length and 1.0–2.0 t in mass, giving a practical sense of scale. Reference material comes from Cloverly Formation, Montana, USA. Size and mass are approximations and may change with new fossils or methods.
Evidence-backed summary
For Tenontosaurus, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Ostrom (1970).
The PBDB places it in Tenontosauridae, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Tenontosauridae.
- PBDB · taxon.parent
- Tenontosauridae
In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range runs from the Aptian to the Cenomanian.
The PBDB catalogues 53 occurrences, with material from the Cloverly Formation (52) and from the Antlers Formation (1). Provenance: United States.
The catalogue records the holotype as AMNH 3040 and the type locality as “Cloverly Formation, Montana, USA”.
- AMNH 3040
- Cloverly Formation, Montana, USA
The catalogue's reference measurements are 6.5–8.0 m in length and 1.0–2.0 t in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.
- 6.5-8.0 m
- 1.0-2.0 tons
The record gathers 63 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
- 6.5–8.0 m
- Weight
- 1.0–2.0 t
- Period
- Cretaceous
- Time range
- 115.0–108.0 Ma
Discovery Information
- First Discovery
- 1970
- Described by
- John Ostrom
Taxonomic Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Ornithischia
- Family
- Tenontosauridae
- Genus
- Tenontosaurus
- Species
- T. tilletti
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
- AMNH 3040
- Type locality
- Cloverly Formation, Montana, USA