Oryctodromeus

digging runner

• oryktes · Greek · digger
• dromeus · Greek · runner

The name combines Greek words for "digger" and "runner". It refers to the animal's apparent burrowing habits and its likely build as a fast-moving, bipedal plant-eater. The type species name, cubicularis, is Latin for "of the bedroom" and refers to the burrow in which the fossils were found.

Named by

Varricchio, Martin and Katsura

Year named

2007

Period

Early to Late Cretaceous (mid-Cretaceous)

Stages

Albian – Cenomanian

Found in

Blackleaf Formation, southwestern Montana, USA (with additional material from the Wayan Formation, Idaho)

A small basal neornithischian (ornithopod-like) dinosaur. It is one of the earliest dinosaurs with skeletal evidence of burrowing. The type species is Oryctodromeus cubicularis. The fossils include an adult and two juveniles found in a burrow, which suggests parental care. The exact stage range is given with moderate confidence.