Oplosaurus

armed lizard

• hoplon (oplon) · Greek · weapon, armour
• sauros · Greek · lizard

The name combines the Greek "hoplon" (weapon or armour) with "sauros" (lizard), so it means "armed lizard". It was based on an isolated tooth from southern England. The name is a respelling of Gervais's original "Hoplosaurus", which was already in use for another animal.

Period

Early Cretaceous

Found in

Wealden Group, Isle of Wight, England

Generally regarded as a sauropod and a nomen dubium, because it rests on a single tooth that cannot be identified to genus. The original spelling was Hoplosaurus, which was preoccupied. Details such as the exact date, authorship of the emended spelling and the stage are from memory and should be checked.