Iguanacolossus

colossal iguana

• iguana · Taíno/Spanish · iguana (from Taíno via Spanish; used here in reference to Iguanodon and its relatives)
• colossus · Greek · giant, huge statue

The name combines "iguana" with the Greek "kolossos" (a giant statue, hence "colossal"). The "iguana" part nods to Iguanodon, whose name means "iguana tooth", and to the iguanodontian group this dinosaur belongs to. It was chosen because Iguanacolossus was a large, early member of that group. The type species is Iguanacolossus fortis.

Named by

McDonald et al.

Year named

2010

Period

Early Cretaceous

Stage

Barremian

Found in

Yellow Cat Member, Cedar Mountain Formation, Utah, USA

A valid genus of iguanodontian ornithopod (an early member of the Styracosterna/Hadrosauriformes lineage). The exact age of the Yellow Cat Member is debated, and the stage given here is approximate.