Dinosaur fossils in North Yorkshire
The Paleobiology Database records 37 non-avian dinosaur finds in North Yorkshire, from 3 genera. The oldest is Lexovisaurus phillipsi from the Oxfordian age, about 161.5 million years old. The youngest is Hypselospinus fittoni from the Late Berriasian age, as young as about 137.1 million years. Ages are the range the database gives for the rocks, so a find can be tens of millions of years across.
- 37finds
- 3genera
- 161.5oldest, million years ago
- 137.1youngest, million years ago
It ranks 7th of 28 UK counties on the map by number of finds, with 6% of the finds in the UK. The most recorded dinosaurs are Hypselospinus (1), Lexovisaurus (1) and Megalosaurus (1). The rock formation with the most finds is called Scalby, with 16.
Which dinosaurs were found in North Yorkshire?
The genera with the most finds here:
| Dinosaur | Finds |
|---|---|
| Hypselospinus | 1 |
| Lexovisaurus | 1 |
| Megalosaurus | 1 |
Rock formations with dinosaur finds in North Yorkshire
| Formation | Finds |
|---|---|
| Scalby | 16 |
| Saltwick | 15 |
| Calcareous Grit | 1 |
| Cloughton | 1 |
| Coral Rag | 1 |
| Malton Oolite | 1 |
| Speeton Clay | 1 |
| Whitby Mudstone | 1 |
Other UK counties to explore
- Isle of Wight (128)
- Dorset (126)
- East Sussex (66)
- Oxfordshire (54)
- West Sussex (46)
- Cambridgeshire (44)
- Ross and Cromarty (36)
- Gloucestershire (29)
- Wiltshire (17)
- Kent (10)
See the sea floor where marine reptiles swam: oceanfloormap.com →
Before you go fossil hunting. A dot shows where a find was recorded, not where you may dig. Many fossil sites are on private or protected land and collecting rules differ by country. Check the rules before collecting and never dig on protected sites.