Cretaceous
Valdosaurus
Valdosaurus canaliculatus
The catalogue presents Valdosaurus as a herbivore member of Dryosauridae that lived during the Cretaceous, between 140.0–130.0 Ma. Its estimated range is 3.0–4.0 m in length and 100–200 kg in mass, giving a practical sense of scale. Reference material comes from Wessex Formation, Isle of Wight, UK. Size and mass are approximations and may change with new fossils or methods.
Evidence-backed summary
For Valdosaurus, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Galton (1977).
The PBDB places it in Dryosauridae, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Dryosauridae.
- PBDB · taxon.parent
- Dryosauridae
In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range runs from the Kimmeridgian to the Aptian.
The PBDB catalogues 5 occurrences, with material from the Wessex Formation (4) and from the Weald Clay Formation (1). Provenance: United Kingdom.
The catalogue records the holotype as BMNH R1973 and the type locality as “Wessex Formation, Isle of Wight, UK”.
- BMNH R1973
- Wessex Formation, Isle of Wight, UK
The catalogue's reference measurements are 3.0–4.0 m in length and 100–200 kg in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.
- 3.0-4.0 m
- 100-200 kg
The record gathers 51 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
- 3.0–4.0 m
- Weight
- 100–200 kg
- Period
- Cretaceous
- Time range
- 140.0–130.0 Ma
Discovery Information
- First Discovery
- 1977
- Described by
- Galton
Taxonomic Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Ornithischia
- Family
- Dryosauridae
- Genus
- Valdosaurus
- Species
- V. canaliculatus
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 R1973
- Type locality
- Wessex Formation, Isle of Wight, UK