Priconodon

saw/serrated cone tooth

• pri- · Greek · saw, serrated
• konos · Greek · cone
• odon · Greek · tooth

The name combines the Greek roots for "saw" (or serrated), "cone," and "tooth," referring to the distinctive shape of its teeth. The teeth of this ankylosaur were described as having a serrated or ridged, cone-like form, which set them apart from other dinosaurs known at the time. The name was chosen to highlight this characteristic dental morphology. It was named by Marsh in 1888 based on isolated teeth from the Arundel Formation of Maryland.

Named by

Marsh

Year named

1888

Period

Early Cretaceous

Stage

Aptian

Found in

Arundel Formation, Maryland, USA

Priconodon is a nomen dubium, known only from isolated teeth and therefore not diagnosable to genus level with confidence. It is generally considered to represent an ankylosaur (nodosaurid), making it one of the earliest known ankylosaurs from North America. Because it is based solely on teeth with no associated skeletal material, its validity as a distinct genus is questionable.