Dasygnathus

rough/shaggy jaw

• dasys · Greek · rough, shaggy, or thick
• gnathos · Greek · jaw

The name Dasygnathus combines the Greek words 'dasys' (rough, shaggy, or dense) and 'gnathos' (jaw), referring to the robust or heavily-toothed nature of the jaw of the animal. It was named in the 19th century based on fragmentary jaw or tooth material. The name reflects the coarse or rugose texture of the jaw elements that characterized the specimen.

Named by

Owen

Year named

1842

Period

Late Triassic

Found in

Scotland, UK

Dasygnathus is generally considered a nomen dubium. It was described by Richard Owen in 1842 from fragmentary material found in Scotland. The remains are too incomplete to be confidently assigned to a known taxon or to diagnose a valid genus. It is sometimes considered to represent a large archosaur or early dinosauriform rather than a true dinosaur, and its exact taxonomic placement remains uncertain.