CretaceousHerbivoreLarge

Iguanodon

ig-WAH-no-don

"Iguana tooth"

Overview

Iguanodon was a large ornithopod and one of the very first dinosaurs ever named. Famous for its distinctive thumb spike, it was a herding herbivore that could walk on two or four legs.

Vital Statistics

Length

10 m

Height

4 m

Weight

4 t

Est. Speed

20 km/h

Discovered

1825

Named by

Gideon Mantell

Countries Discovered

BelgiumUnited KingdomGermanySpain

Fossil Locations

🦴

📍 Bernissart, Belgium📍 Sussex, United Kingdom

Interesting Facts

Iguanodon was the second dinosaur to be formally named, in 1825.

Its thumb was modified into a sharp spike, possibly used for defense or foraging.

Early reconstructions placed the thumb spike on the dinosaur's nose.

Hundreds of Iguanodon skeletons were found together in a Belgian coal mine, suggesting herd behavior.

Closest Relatives

MantellisaurusDollodonCamptosaurusOuranosaurus