Dakotadon Facts
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 2.5m |
| Length | 6m |
| Weight | 1 tonnes |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Early Cretaceous |
| Type | Ornithopod |
| Location | United States |

| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 2.5m |
| Length | 6m |
| Weight | 1 tonnes |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Early Cretaceous |
| Type | Ornithopod |
| Location | United States |
Dakotadon was a large ornithopod dinosaur that roamed the ancient landscapes of what is now South Dakota during the Early Cretaceous period, approximately 137 million years ago. This herbivorous dinosaur measured around 6 metres in length and weighed about 1 tonne, making it a substantial plant-eater of its time.
Originally discovered in 1989 and first described as a species of Iguanodon, this dinosaur has had a controversial taxonomic history. Researchers have debated its classification for decades, with some scientists suggesting it was closely related to other iguanodonts, whilst others argued it deserved its own genus. In 2008, palaeontologist Gregory S. Paul finally gave it the separate genus name Dakotadon, recognising its distinct characteristics.
As an ornithopod, Dakotadon possessed the typical features of this group, including a beak-like mouth for cropping vegetation and powerful jaw muscles for processing tough plant material. It likely moved on both two and four legs, depending on whether it was feeding or travelling. The dinosaur's teeth were well-adapted for grinding fibrous plants, suggesting it fed on ferns, conifers, and other vegetation that dominated the Early Cretaceous forests.
Unfortunately, our knowledge of Dakotadon remains limited, as it is known only from a partial skull discovered in the Lakota Formation. This has made it challenging for scientists to fully understand its anatomy and lifestyle, contributing to the ongoing debates about its classification and relationships to other iguanodonts.
Dakotadon possessed distinctive skull features that set it apart from other iguanodonts, though the limited fossil material makes detailed comparison difficult. Its dental characteristics and skull proportions were sufficiently unique to warrant its own genus classification.
As an ornithopod, Dakotadon likely lived in herds and spent much of its time foraging for vegetation. It probably alternated between bipedal and quadrupedal locomotion, standing on its hind legs to reach higher vegetation and dropping to all fours when feeding on ground-level plants.
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Ornithischia |
| Genus | Dakotadon |
Dakotadon was first described by David B. Weishampel and Philip R. Bjork in 1989. The original fossils were discovered at Lakota Formation, South Dakota, USA.