Dinosaur fossils in Oxfordshire
The Paleobiology Database records 54 non-avian dinosaur finds in Oxfordshire, from 5 genera. The oldest is Megalosaurus from the Bajocian age, about 170.9 million years old. The youngest is Cumnoria prestwichii from the Late Kimmeridgian age, as young as about 149.2 million years. Ages are the range the database gives for the rocks, so a find can be tens of millions of years across.
- 54finds
- 5genera
- 170.9oldest, million years ago
- 149.2youngest, million years ago
It ranks 4th of 28 UK counties on the map by number of finds, with 8% of the finds in the UK. The most recorded dinosaurs are Cetiosaurus (9), Megalosaurus (9) and Cruxicheiros (1). The rock formation with the most finds is called Forest Marble, with 13.
Which dinosaurs were found in Oxfordshire?
The genera with the most finds here:
| Dinosaur | Finds |
|---|---|
| Cetiosaurus | 9 |
| Megalosaurus | 9 |
| Cruxicheiros | 1 |
| Cumnoria | 1 |
| Eustreptospondylus | 1 |
Rock formations with dinosaur finds in Oxfordshire
| Formation | Finds |
|---|---|
| Forest Marble | 13 |
| White Limestone | 8 |
| Sharp's Hill | 5 |
| Taynton Limestone | 5 |
| Portland Stone | 3 |
| Chipping Norton Limestone | 2 |
| Kimmeridge Clay | 2 |
| Cornbrash | 1 |
| Faringdon Sand | 1 |
| Hampen Marly | 1 |
Other UK counties to explore
- Isle of Wight (128)
- Dorset (126)
- East Sussex (66)
- West Sussex (46)
- Cambridgeshire (44)
- North Yorkshire (37)
- 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.