Cladeiodon

branching tooth

• klados · Greek · branch
• odous (odon) · Greek · tooth

The name combines the Greek words 'klados' (branch or twig) and 'odous/odon' (tooth), giving the meaning 'branching tooth'. It was chosen to describe the distinctive, branched or complex morphology of the teeth of this animal. The name reflects the characteristic dental features that distinguished it from other taxa known at the time.

Named by

Owen

Year named

1841

Period

Late Triassic

Stages

Carnian – Norian

Found in

England, UK

Cladeiodon is a nomen dubium. It was named by Richard Owen in 1841 on the basis of isolated teeth from the Late Triassic of England. The fragmentary nature of the material — teeth only — makes it impossible to reliably diagnose the genus or assign it confidently to any species, hence its status as a doubtful name. It is sometimes considered a possible large archosaur or early dinosauriform rather than a true dinosaur, and it cannot be properly compared to better-known taxa.