Camptosaurus

† Camptosaurus ('flexible lizard') was a medium-sized iguanodontian ornithopod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic Morrison Formation of North America. Reaching up to 7.9 m in length, it was a facultatively bipedal herbivore with robust forelimbs, broad hooves, and leaf-shaped teeth adapted for cropping vegetation. Among the most common ornithopods of the Morrison Formation, it shared its habitat with sauropods and stegosaurs. Multiple specimens including juveniles have provided insight into its ontogeny and ecology.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivore

Camptosaurus was a plant-eating dinosaur. Herbivores typically fed on ferns, cycads, conifers, and other vegetation available during their era. Many herbivorous dinosaurs developed specialized teeth and digestive systems for processing tough plant material.

Time Period

Jurassic Late Mesozoic Era

Camptosaurus lived during the Jurassic Late period of the Mesozoic Era, approximately 161.5 to 145.0 million years ago.

One of the most iconic periods for dinosaurs. Giant sauropods like Brachiosaurus and Diplodocus roamed alongside predators like Allosaurus. Archaeopteryx, the earliest known bird, appeared. The Morrison Formation preserves an extraordinary fossil record from this time.