Centemodon

piercing tooth

• kentein · Greek · to pierce / to prick
• odous (odon) · Greek · tooth

Centemodon combines the Greek 'kentein' (to pierce or prick) with 'odon' (tooth), giving the overall sense of 'piercing tooth.' The name alludes to the sharp, pointed nature of the teeth of this animal. It was applied to material from the Early Jurassic of North America.

Named by

Marsh

Year named

1892

Period

Early Jurassic

Stage

Hettangian

Found in

Newark Supergroup, New Jersey, USA

Centemodon sulcatus was named by O. C. Marsh in 1892 on the basis of isolated teeth from the Newark Supergroup of New Jersey. It is generally regarded as a nomen dubium because the fragmentary dental material cannot be confidently assigned to a specific taxon. It may represent a small theropod dinosaur or possibly another archosaur; its exact affinities remain uncertain.